The High Road
by devonshire64
Summary: Life is built on the choices we all make. Our legacies forged by each and every action. With enemies coming at them from all sides the brothers are thrown into a fight where nothing is as it seems.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello Everyone. Here is the next installment of the Something Lost Series. Enjoy :)_

**D: this is all just for fun. **

**THE HIGH ROAD**

Chapter 1

Kerri was laying on the old cot, her left arm covering her eyes. She had moved beyond cabin fever long ago— now she was stir crazy. She had been in the panic room for weeks, and it was driving her up the walls. Sam and Bobby had started hiding from her all together, but Dean still came to keep her company. Or at least he tried to. She knew it wasn't really his fault— scratch that, it was his fault, so she didn't feel bad about shooing the blonde away— except now she was alone again.

They had searched her mind, had found answers, or at least reprieve, but that wasn't enough for Dean. He worried about her, and while Kerri loved the concern, at times like this it was overly annoying. She knew Dean was blaming himself for everything that was going on in their lives, whether he could control it or not. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to get through to him anymore. When they were younger she could talk him out of his moods, bring him out of the darkness he so often fell victim to. But when they were kids the problems were smaller. Now the problems were Kerri and Sam themselves, along with a plan they couldn't even begin to understand.

How were they going to rule over the world? What did Yellow Eyes really have in store? It was all too big, too dangerous, and way too close to home. She was a walking time bomb, and Sam had been marked even before he was born. And Dean, were did he fit in all this? Everyone was counting him out, pushing him to the side. No one believed in him. Did Kerri think he could win? Of course, he was Dean, he could do anything. At least that's what her heart told her. She had looked up to him her entire life, had felt safe with him no matter what. Her life was wrapped up in him. But just because he was her hero didn't mean he was invincible.

She had to look to herself, even though she knew it was dangerous. Everyone kept talking about the things she knew, but that was the dilemma, she didn't really know anything. She stored the information, she couldn't use it. And there in lied the problem. She had to figure out what was in her own mind, and she had to find some way to use it to their advantage. Hell, for all she knew she could have the information needed to kill the Yellow Eyed Demon. Her only speed bump was Dean. Ever since her little search and subsequent cardiac arrest he had been less than willing to let her try it again.

But right now he was upstairs. Kerri looked at the open panic room door. Sam, Dean and Bobby had all been searching for answers, for some way to get her out of the panic room. But so far they'd all come up empty handed. But what if there was some way she could block herself, or maybe she could lock the information in another part of her mind. They were all things she'd begged Dean to let her try— but he stood adamantly against her.

She pushed herself off the cot, slowly walking to the door. She took a breath, leaning out and over the iron doorway. She blinked several times, fighting back a wave of dizziness. Surprisingly, though, after a few uncomfortable moments the feeling passed. She took a tentative step into the basement, smiling when she remained normal. Maybe the havoc Rayner had caused was beginning to ebb. She let out a sigh of relief, maybe they already had the answer. She took the steps two at a time— she couldn't wait to tell the brothers she was ok. But four steps shy of the basement door her joy was washed away. She felt the tremor in her arms first, a now familiar unease settling in the pit of her stomach a moment later.

She turned quickly, stumbling back down the stairs. She half jumped half fell into the panic room, the tremor taking control. She couldn't stop shaking, tears streaming down her face. If this is what her life was going to be like then she didn't want it. Both her dad and Dean had tried to save her, but breathing wasn't living. Just having her around might have been enough for them, but it wasn't enough for her. She wanted to be out and about, wanted to explore, to experience the world. Hiding in a basement wasn't her idea of a life.

She pulled the heavy door closed with a loud bag, spinning the lock. She didn't care anymore. She wasn't going to live like a prisoner, her life in someone else's hands. She would do what she wanted to do, even if it killed her. She stared at the door, trying to calm her racing heart. This was a war she wasn't meant to live through, she knew that, so what was the use of prolonging it. She sat down on the old cot, closing her eyes, searching for memories.

She focused, closing out the world around her, her mind locked on the task. Ever so slowly she pictured those sickly Yellow Eyes. She listened to her mind, listened to the words the Demon had said to her decades ago. _Life's a bitch sometimes, kid._ She felt the floorboards beneath her feet as she stood in her sister's room the night her mother had died. But instead of focusing on the fire, instead of focusing on her sister or mother, she kept her eyes on the Demon.

And the Demon seemed to stare back. She took in everything there was about him, his long jacket, the being little more than a silhouette in the night. Finally, she looked into his eyes. The rest of the room fell away, only the eyes remaining. She stared at those eyes, pulling them toward her as she searched her mind for them again. Suddenly she saw the Demon at the motel when the Korrigan trapped them. Again, she focused only on his eyes, pulling them toward her, while she searched again.

She searched the darkness, images flying at her like tv screens in a tunnel. The panic room was long gone, she was completely and totally in her own mind. She had been hoping she would have gone to the library again, but that was apparently something created by Sam. It had been him controlling the mind walk, Kerri knew that, but she hadn't realized just how powerful the brunette truly was. He could organize her mind, at least a little. That must be what Yellow Eyes meant when Evelyn said they would use Kerri's information. Rayner could harvest it, but he needed either Sam or Evelyn to make sense of it.

She pushed the thought of Sam away when the tv screens began to switch between him and Yellow Eyes. She just needed to know about the Demon, she needed to know what he really was. There was more to the Demon, more than world domination. There was something else at its core. She shook her head when the tv screens again flicked to Sam. Sam couldn't be tied to the Demon's past, he was too young. She needed a way to destroy the creature, but her mind didn't seem to get that. She pushed harder, blood pouring from her nose as she knelt in the dark recesses of her mind. She could feel a deep pain growing at the base of her skull, a pressure crushing her. But she didn't care. She wasn't living anymore, she was hiding— and she was done with it.

She could hear a voice, barely audible through the darkness. But still she didn't care. She had to find answers, had to find the truth. She followed the Demon's Eyes, though each time she was ultimately met with Sam's. That couldn't be the answer. This all couldn't come down to Sam. There had to be something more to the picture, something bigger than the shaggy haired boy she had known since childhood.

"Kerri?" The voice was stronger, echoing in her mind. She knew it was Dean, even though his voice sounded distorted. She wanted to answer him, everything in her heart told her to run back to him. But she couldn't burden him anymore.

So instead, she turned back to the thoughts running through the darkness. The Demon's eyes were still in front of her, flicking back and forth between brown and yellow. "What's your secret?" She whispered, staring down the Demon. "Who are you?"

"_I am the end."_ A voice as cold as steel answered.

"The end of what?"

_"Everything. When I rise, the world will begin again. Life will be born anew, and I will lead it."_

"Who are you?"

_"Your family and foe."_

"Kerri, please." Dean's voice echoed again, chasing away the Demon.

Kerri wanted to chase after the memory, wanted to find out what it was she really knew about the world. But she was too tired, too spent. Searching her mind had taken a lot out of her last time and this time she had gone further, and had been in the beginning stages of a seizure no less. It was just too much for her tired body to handle. But at least she wouldn't be a prisoner anymore.

"Save him." Kerri tried to yell to Dean. "He's family and foe." She blinked, her eyes suddenly heavy. She couldn't figure out what that meant, but she knew it was important. The Demon said it was family and foe, it had to be a clue.

"Kerri?"

"Family is your foe." Kerri called again, drifting off into darkness. "Family is foe." She whispered one last time before letting go and giving herself up to the dark.

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Dean sat at the worn kitchen table, staring at the cup of now cold coffee in front of him. He was lost, drifting, and he couldn't find a lifeline. Both Kerri and Sam were hurting and in danger— marked, used. What was he supposed to hold on to? He told Sam he could win, and he hoped to god he was right. But he didn't even know where to start. Sam was supposed to be the leader of the end of days, and Kerri was going to give up everything in her mind to the Demon. It didn't make any sense, it couldn't make any sense. Yet somehow he knew it was still true.

Sam was different, there was no denying that any longer. He was stronger than Dean ever through possible, but that didn't change the fact that he was still Sammy. Even Evelyn hadn't lost her place in his heart. She'd lost her way, there was no lying about that, she'd gone dark-side, but she had still tried to come back. And Dean couldn't fault the girl. She was left completely alone after the Yaksha, and that had been the death of her. He should have seen it coming, she had been alone for a long time.

When she was a toddler she was the most outgoing of the bunch, the most trusting, the most normal. But that all changed, and Dean knew when— the Watcher. After that summer, the young brunette had never been the same. She'd been more reserved, quieter, shyer. She had just been different. She was more afraid after the attack, and she was more attached to Kerri than ever. As an adult he saw all that, recognized all that as a cry for help— but when it was all happening he was still a child. Looking back he could see the warning signs, but back then, well back then he didn't give them a second thought.

In a way he felt partially responsible for the young girl's death. He should have kept in touch, should have watched out for her better when they were little. He should have done a lot of things differently, but he hadn't. As much as he wished he could, Dean couldn't change the past. All he could do was look back on it and see all his mistakes, all his missed chances, all the paths left untaken. To him the past was a field of dead dreams and broken promises, a wasteland of the heart.

He pushed away from the table. He hadn't been down to see Kerri in a while, and he knew it was time to check in again. She had shooed him out a few hours ago, and even though he knew the redhead was probably still sitting downstairs scowling, he wanted to see her. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was losing her, even as she sat in front of him. She was too close to the edge, too close to the danger, and all Dean wanted to do was bring her back to safety. The only problem was, safety was eluding them all at the moment. He sighed, pulling open the basement door. He wished there was something he could do for her, some way to help her back into the world. Sam had suggested blocking her while she was out of the panic room, but Dean quickly put a stop to that idea. His brother was becoming too comfortable with his abilities, and it was freaking him out. Sam was Sammy, his little brother, he wasn't some supped up warrior for the demons.

A chill suddenly raced up Dean's spin, silencing all thought of Sam. The basement was too quiet, something was off. "Ker?" Dean called out, slowly making his way down the stairs. "You ok, Ker?"

Dean's heart was racing when he finally made it down the stairs. Even if Kerri was pissed at him she would have answered. And the minute he saw the panic room door was closed his anxiety increased ten-fold. He knew for a fact Kerri wouldn't close it, not unless she had good reason. As soon as they'd learned she was fully protected with it opened she had insisted it stayed that way.

"Kerri?" Dean called, louder, reaching for the handle. He froze when the door didn't open. He tried the lock, his heart hammering in his chest when it wouldn't turn. Kerri had locked herself in there, or something had locked itself in there with her.

"Kerri!" Dean shouted pounding on the door. He glanced up when he heard metal tap against metal. He nearly cried out when he saw the small metal flap on the door was unlocked and open. He looked through the opening, letting out a long breath when he saw the redhead was alone. "Kerri!" Dean yelled again, but his friend remained frighteningly still.

"Dean? What's wrong." Sam asked, leaping down the last two steps.

"Kerri locked herself in there and I can't get any response from her."

"Why would she do that?"

"I don't know. Why's she been doing anything lately. Can you get to her? Shield her, search her mind, anything?"

"No. If I was in there I could, but the panic room's blocking me, especially with the door closed."

"Shit." Dean ran his hands through his hair. He had to get in there. There was something seriously wrong with Kerri, he could feel it in his soul. "Get a torch." Dean directed Sam. The brunette was up the stairs and out of the basement in minutes. Nearly running Bobby over in the process.

"What the hell, Dean?"

"Bobby, tell me you have another way in there." Dean asked desperately, turning to the mechanic.

"What's going on?"

"Kerri locked herself in there, but she's unresponsive. There's something wrong with her, we need to get in there."

"Here." Sam yelled, half running, half falling down the stairs. He passed the blowtorch off to Dean the moment he was in range. The blonde wasted no time pulling a lighter from his pocket.

"Dean, it's a panic room, that's not gonna work." Bobby answered as Dean tried to light the old torch.

"I'm not leaving her in there. I don't care if it takes me a month, I'm torching this door."

"And I'm telling you a torch won't work. You think I'd lock myself in there just to have some demon pick up a blowtorch and open the damn thing."

"Please, Bobby, is there anyway. Anything." Dean was desperate. There had to be some fail safe, some way to get into the room.

"Course there's a way, it just isn't a blowtorch. Move." Bobby pushed Dean aside, stepping inside the devil's trap painted at the door's entrance.

He reached forward, wrapping one hand around and a five-spot on the door. He turned it, the sound of metal grinding across metal filling the room. After what felt like an eternity to Dean Bobby had the cover off. He reach in further, his arm now completely inside the salt and iron door. No matter what, there was not way a demon or spirit would have been able to get to the point the mechanic was at now. After a few mumbled curses Bobby finally reached what he was looking for. He gave a sharp tug, and Dean could hear the lock turning.

"There."

The words were barely out of the older hunter's mouth before Dean was pulling the door open. He rushed across the room, falling to his knees beside the old cot. "Kerri?" Dean's voice was shaking. He slipped his hand beneath her head, feeling for a pulse with the other. "Kerri, please."

"Dean?"

"She's alive. But her pulse is weak. She's going into shock. Sammy—."

"Yeah, yeah." Sam grabbed some of the extra blankets which were in the panic room, draping them over the redhead while Dean continued to check her. Her ears and nose were bleeding heavily, a slight tremor racing through her body. Dean's heart was racing, he was losing her. He check her eyes, gasping when he found they'd both rolled back in her head.

"Damn it." Dean rolled her to her side, checking her pulse again. It was growing weaker by the second, the once strong beats now thready and irregular. "Shit."

"Dean?"

"She's dying. Bobby, call 911. Kerri, please." Dean pleaded. He couldn't lose her, not now, not like this. They were looking for a way to save her, searching for the locket Evelyn had found. She had to hold on, just for a little bit, just until he found the answers. Because he knew he wouldn't be able to save his brother if he lost Kerri. He needed someone to lean on, someone to help keep him from crumbling away while he stopped Sam from becoming whatever he was supposed to become.

"Save him." Kerri whispered, almost as though she knew what he had been thinking. "He's family and foe." Her voice was so weak Dean had to lean in to hear her.

"Kerri?"

"Family is your foe." She mumbled again, her breath racing across Dean's neck as he strained to hear her. "Family is foe."

"Kerri? Come on, Ker, come back to me. I need you to come back to me and tell me what you know. Just come back to me, ok, I'm not mad, Ker."

"Sorry." Kerri's voice was so quiet Dean wasn't certain he'd heard anything at all. But a second later that didn't matter. Kerri's entire body went limp, her breathing so shallow Dean wasn't sure she was breathing at all. "Kerri!" Dean screamed, shaking the redhead. "Don't you dare."

"Dean, ambulance is fifteen minutes out." Bobby yelled into the panic room.

"Not good enough." Dean yelled back, pulling Kerri up into his arms. "You drive, Sammy."

"Dean—."

"In fifteen minutes she's gonna be dead. We can get her there faster."

"I'll call the hospital, let them know you're on your way." Bobby called after them. Dean didn't bother answering. He raced out of the house, Kerri's limp body held tightly in his arms. She had searched her mind again, he knew that for certain. And if her little trip down memory lane didn't kill her Dean knew he just might. The redhead was in self-destruct mode, and he had to shake her out of it. He refused to lose her, not now and not ever. When this war was over, he planned on all of them making it out alive. He'd lost enough family already.


	2. Chapter 2

_thank you all so much for the great reviews. this chapter is a little slower but the story will get into the action pretty quickly. enjoy :)_

**THE HIGH ROAD**

Chapter 2

Dean sat in the hard plastic chair, his head in his hands. He was staring at the pale checkered floor, the constant beep of the heart monitor the only thing keeping him from losing control. He couldn't let his mind wander to the panic room, couldn't think about the way Kerri had looked when he finally got the door open. But most of all, he couldn't let himself think about the fact that she had done that to herself. Nothing attacked her while she was down there, nothing had broken through their defenses. Nothing other than Kerri, that is.

Dean looked up at the bed, staring at Kerri's pale face long and hard. She knew what would happen if she searched her mind. Hell, she'd stopped her own heart back at Rayner's house. So why do it again? And why lock the panic room door beforehand? There was only one answer— she didn't have any intention of surviving her search. And that fact rocked Dean to his core. What had happened to make her throw her life away like that, what had he done to put her on the brink?

Dean leaned over the bed, resting his hand on Kerri's arm. He wished she knew just how much he needed her, just how much he cared about her. Sam was his brother, and Sam would always come first, but Kerri had another part of Dean's heart and soul all to herself. She had been the first person to call him 'friend' since his mother died, the first person to take him in. She had been the only person who ever offered to help carry some of the weight he was burdened with, though he always refused. She was the only person to give up for him, to sacrifice for him, to put him before herself. Even during their long absence, the memory of her had kept him going, kept him fighting. And now that memory was in danger of dying.

"I can't do this alone." Dean whispered, resting his head against her arm. He couldn't. There was no way he could save his brother from the Yellow Eyed Demon without help. Yes Bobby was still there, but he was different, more like the father he never had. Bobby would always be there to help, always be there to offer advice, but he couldn't give Dean the strength he needed. No, that strength came from two people— Sam and Kerri. And both those people were slipping away from him.

"Dean?"

Dean's head shot up. "Ker? Hey, how're you feeling?"

Kerri blinked slowly, moving her head to the side. Almost instantly her face went several shades paler. "Not so good."

"I'll get the doctor." Dean brushed Kerri's bangs back, sighing in relief when she finally focused on him.

"No, I'll be good."

"Kerri."

"I'm ok."

"You're in the hospital."

"Yeah. Smell's making me wanna puke. Can you shut off the lights?" Kerri closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths.

"Sam's downstairs at the cafe, I'll get him up here." Dean said as he turned off the overhead lights.

"That won't help. Just a normal migraine."

"What part of you is normal?"

"Low blow." Kerri sighed, blinking several times.

"As low a blow as you trying to kill yourself on my watch?"

"Dean—."

"I know what you did, Ker. And you knew what would happen."

"Yeah."

"Yeah? Yeah!" Dean stopped himself, standing and pacing the room instead. Kerri wasn't in any condition to fight. "Why would you do that to me?" Dean asked a few minutes later, trying to keep his voice even.

"I wasn't doing it to you. But you won't understand."

"Why wouldn't I understand?"

"I don't wanna talk about this now. I'm tired."

"Promise me you won't check out, Kerri. Promise me you'll try and fight. Promise me you'll stay here." Dean sat down in the chair again, taking Kerri's hand in his. He needed her to understand just what she meant to him.

Kerri turned to face him, her blue eyes vivid against her pale skin. She looked so young, the freckles on her face jumping out at him. It was like looking at a teenage Kerri again, the same girl he thought he'd lost forever. "I can't."

Dean sucked in a breath, her quiet words shattering him. After everything they had been through, after growing up together, this was where it was going to end? That couldn't be possible. They had made it through so much together, had survived childhood together. It couldn't be over. "Why?"

"I'm not living anymore, Dean. I'm just hiding. I mean, how long is the panic room gonna be plan A?"

"We're working on it."

"You're always gonna be working on it. Dad died working on it. Evelyn died working on it. Hell even John died before he found an answer. You heard what Rayner said, it's organic."

"I don't care what the bastard said. Just— give me a chance, Kerri."

"No."

"No? Kerri I can fix this." Dean was desperate. They were looking for an answer, they really were. He just needed more time.

"At what price? You have Sam to worry about. You should stop wasting your energy on me."

"So that's what I'm doing, wasting my energy?"

"You can't save me, Dean."

"Yeah, you've said that. But you're not letting me try. You were attacked what, a couple weeks ago, give me more time. I need you with me Kerri. I can't let you go."

"I know, and that's the problem. What I am, now, it's not what I want to be. I'm alive, ok, but I'm not living."

"You're living—."

"I'm trapped in a room. And when I'm not in that room I have to be shielded by Sam. That's not a life, Dean."

"It's not gonna be like that forever."

"How long?"

"Well, I don't know, but I promise I'll find something."

"I know you'd go to the ends of the earth to save me, and I want you to know that that means a lot to me. But I don't wanna be saved anymore. I don't wanna be like this anymore."

"Like what?"

"Hanging on. Sitting on the sidelines. You need me, Dean, I know that. Believe me, I know that. And I need you, too."

"But you're still gonna give up."

"It's not giving up."

"How is this not giving up, Ker? You tried to kill yourself, do you understand that?"

"I was trying to see what I knew about the Demon."

"You locked yourself in the panic room." Dean's voice dropped as he spoke. He rested his hand on her arm, squeezing it gently. He needed to bring her back. "You knew what would happen if you searched your mind. You knew you wouldn't wake up. Did you even think about me before you locked that door?"

"You're all I was thinking about. You're too focused on me. There's something bigger than us happening here. You need to take care of Sam."

"Don't turn this into a conversation about Sam. I'm talking about you and me, Ker. About us."

"What us?"

"All our lives it was you and me."

"No, Dean, it wasn't. Half our lives it may have been just the two of us, but then you left. You weren't here when I needed you most. You weren't here when everything fell apart."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not blaming you. I'm just saying that things have changed. What we were, what you remember me being— I'm not that girl anymore. The girl you're holding onto's been gone for a long time."

"No, she hasn't. You might not be able to see it, but from where I am you're still the Kerri I left behind. You're still the girl I never once forgot."

"And if I hadn't left that note? Would I still be that girl?"

"What—."

"You forgot about me, Dean, we both know that. You moved on, and I did, too. That's not a bad thing. I might have been on the back of your mind, but the girl you're searching for now, the one you're trying to hold onto, is the same girl you pushed to the edge of your memory. I'm sorry, Dean."

"No."

"No?"

"No." Dean shook his head, fighting to keep himself from losing control. "You don't get to say goodbye. I won't let you."

"You don't get a choice."

"Wanna bet. I will not let you go, Kerri, not like this. I'm not gonna let some coward witch take you away from me. I need you here. I have to keep an eye on Sam, I know that. God knows I know that. Before my Dad died, he told me something and, Ker—."

"Dean?"

"I need you here. More than anything. I know I left, I know I helped Sam forget you. But please, Kerri, give me another chance. I won't make it if you don't. I won't make it alone."

"You have Sam."

"I don't know if I do. My dad— before—. He told me something, Ker, and everyday since I wished he'd have kept his mouth shut."

"Dean, what?"

Dean bowed his head, taking a deep breath. Dad had sworn him to secrecy, but he couldn't carry the burden alone, not anymore. He had thought maybe Dad was just overreacting, that maybe it was all some big mistake. But after Evelyn he knew it was all true, and he felt like he was drowning. He couldn't lose Kerri too, not on top of everything else. "He told me I had to kill Sam."

"What!"

"If I couldn't save him, then I had to kill him."

"John would never. He treated Sam like he was made of gold."

"You think I don't know that. All my life he drilled one thing into my head over and over again. Watch out for Sammy. Then the bastard comes back after a year of hiding from me and tells me to kill my little brother. What am I supposed to do, Ker? I thought maybe Dad was wrong, but then Evelyn came back. What if Yellow Eyes gets to Sam? And what if you're gone. I'd go crazy, Ker. I'd break. Hell, Dad thinks I can actually kill my own brother. What if it comes to that? What if he turns, what if I have to stop him? How do you expect me to do that alone?"

"You're forgetting I'm part of the plan, too. Maybe if I'm gone Yellow Eyes' plan will fall through. Maybe he won't need Sam, then. Or what if Yellow Eyes takes us both? What if you have to take us both out?"

"Kerri—."

"There's lots of what ifs, Dean. I'm a liability. I'm just a pawn for them to use against you."

"You might be that to the bad guys but you're more than that to me. You keep thinking of the bigger picture, of what happens if you fall into the wrong hands. But please, Ker, think of me. You're the only one who's ever thought of me, who's ever stopped to see what I needed. Don't stop that now, not when I need you the most. I know it's hard, and I know it's dark now, and you're scared, and trapped. But please, think of me when I tell you I need you to be here. Even if you're just sitting next to me. I need you. Please understand that."

"I do understand, but I don't know if I can hold on."

"Please just try. For me." Dean locked eyes with Kerri, holding onto her arm like it was a lifeline in a storm. He was afraid to let go, afraid to blink. Any moment she could be gone, he knew that now. When he put her in the panic room he thought he was keeping her safe, but he was wrong. His heart still froze when he thought about it. The fear returning tenfold. He thought she was gone forever, and that was something he would never be able to face.

"Ok, Dean." Kerri answered quietly, her eyes still locked on his.

Dean just nodded, bowing his head as a wave on emotions took his breath away. Kerri and Sam's lives were in his hands, literally, and he didn't know if he could handle that responsibility— but he knew he had to try. He couldn't face life without his friend and brother, that reality wasn't an option. So he had to do what he always did, fight for his family.

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Sam sat in the cafe, shielding Kerri while at the same time trying to block her. He could feel every one of her emotions. Despair, loneliness, heartbreak— it was all there, beating against him, trying to get inside his soul. Until that moment he hadn't thought of the danger or the consequences of what he was doing. There was more to his powers than simply shielding his friend, that was just the tip of the iceberg. He closed his eyes, trying to focus, trying to ground himself— he needed Evelyn. She had been his mentor, and his friend, hell she was like a sister to him. Losing her was like falling into a void. He didn't know which way to go now, didn't know what the next step was.

Getting rid of Evelyn was the right thing to do, in his heart he knew that. Evelyn was dead, gone, it was time for her spirit to let go. But just because it was Evelyn's time to let go didn't mean Sam was ready for it. He was left with more questions than answers, and a growing fear of what he might become. Everything around him was changing so fast it left him reeling, and with no clear direction to turn. He was lost, and the only solid thing in his mind was Evelyn. He had to focus on something else, and that was part of the problem. He needed to focus on Kerri, but he couldn't. Whenever he thought about the redhead all he could see were the people he lost, the people he hurt along the way. She was the symbol of his forgotten youth, the strongest reminder of what he had truly lost. And whenever he looked at her, that's all he could see.

He wished he could see beyond the despair, beyond the hopelessness, but he couldn't. Kerri was a broken statue, a crumbled artifact from a life that could have been. Everything about her was lost, forgotten, destroyed. Her family, her fate, her future, it was all a dead end, and Sam prayed that would change. He knew how much his brother needed Kerri in his life, knew how much Dean leaned on her. And he knew what was happening to her now was destroying him. Dean had promised long ago to keep Kerri safe— but then, he had made that promise to a lot of people. It wasn't his brother's fault, hell it wasn't anyone's fault— some promises were doomed to be broken from the very start.

Sam looked up at the nearby window, rubbing his face. He needed to find some way to help his family, to find some way to save them. His parents were gone, Tom and Evelyn were gone, Jessica was gone— Dean and Kerri were all he had left and he could feel himself losing them as well. He couldn't believe how much his life had changed in a few short years. Less than four years before he had been in college, had found the love of his life, had been living his dream. Now he was an orphan, his brother crumbling under some invisible weight. Jessica was dead, college nothing more than a distant memory. His forgotten best friend had joined sides with the Demon who had killed both their mothers, and along with Sam thought she was going to rule the world. But the worst of all was the demon blood.

He could feel it in his veins, and he wanted nothing more than to get ride of it. It had been there since he was six months old, but he hadn't felt it until Evelyn had taken a part of his soul hostage. Since then everything had spiraled out of control. He could feel it now, running through his veins, burning within him. He wasn't human, not entirely, and he didn't know where to go next. Dean didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to acknowledge it, and Kerri was in no state to offer advice. And now that Evelyn was gone, Sam was left completely alone in a world he no longer understood.

"Sammy?"

Sam jumped at the voice. He shook his head, turning around to find Dean standing behind him.

"You ok, Sam?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"Yeah, sure."

"What's up, is Kerri ok?" Sam knew his brother wouldn't leave his post unless something had happened. The older man had been at Kerri's side since they had found her in the panic room. Sam had never seen his brother look so lost, had never seen his vivid green eyes so haunted. It was like his entire world was disappearing, like all his strength came from the redhead. And in a way, it did. Kerri gave something to Dean no one else ever had, a shoulder to lean on. John always relied on Dean to be the perfect soldier, and Sam always relied on him to be the perfect big brother. Dean could do no wrong in their eyes— and while that fact amazed Sam when he was young, the reality of it was too much for him to witness. Dean was cracking, fading, falling, and the only thing that had kept him sane over the years was slipping away. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion.

"More or less. She woke up, at least. Bobby's with her now."

"That's good." Sam sighed. The last few hours had been hard on all of them. "Did she say anything? I mean, does she seem ok?"

"You mean is she a vegetable? No, she's still all there."

Sam closed his eyes, a huge weight lifting off his chest. He could feel Kerri's emotions, feel her despair— but he couldn't tell if it was coming from her conscious mind or from somewhere beyond. When he was with Evelyn he could feel all her emotions and she had been dead for years. He'd been careful not to mention any of that to Dean, though, because Sam didn't know if his brother would survive losing Kerri. And Sam knew for a fact he wouldn't survive losing Dean. It was like a house of cards, if one pillar fell, they all did.

"That's good."

"Yeah. Doctor's pretty amazed, he'd given her up as a goner. Though he's still trying to figure out what caused her 'stroke'."

Sam just shook his head. He knew the medical staff meant well, and he knew they were trying. But over the years he realized one thing about hospitals— they were good for bandages, blood loss and other hunting related injuries, but they sucked for the supernatural related illnesses. It wasn't their fault, though, who in their right mind would think a twenty nine year old girl collapsed because her brain was cursed.

"They can't do anything for her here."

"I know. Kerri asked if they'd let her go, but I told them to keep her."

"What?" Sam was surprised, Dean was normally the first one to cut and run.

"I don't want it happening again."

"Dean, there's nothing they can do to stop it here."

"At least she can't lock the door on us."

"They're not gonna put someone who they think had a stroke on suicide watch." They had already discussed their next course of action. Something was deeply wrong with Kerri, and Sam knew it would take more than a few heartfelt words to bring her back from the edge.

"Well, I kind of told them she might have done it to herself."

"How do you give yourself a stroke?"

"I don't know. I mentioned she might have done something and now they think she's a druggie."

"Did you come down here to talk to me or hide?"

"A little of both. I have an idea."

"Alright."

"When you search her mind, how far can you get?"

"I don't search her mind, I shield it."

"Ok, but how far can you get?"

"What are you thinking?"

"If Kerri tries to search her mind again, can you stop her. Like, put up a road block or something."

"You want me to close off parts of Kerri's brain?"

"Yeah. Do you think that would work?"

"I don't know. I mean, I saw her thoughts when we did the mind walk."

"And she was safe. She wasn't hurt until Evelyn stepped in."

"Yeah, Dean, but that might have been because of Evelyn. I don't know how much I was controlling and how much she was."

"I know, but you guys are the same, right. I mean, Yellow Eyes trained her on the dark side, but basically, you should be able to do the same stuff."

"I should." Sam was starting to feel uncomfortable. He had gotten a taste of the power housed within him when Evelyn was training him and it scared him. He wasn't sure he wanted to go down that road again. What worried him more, though, was that he could see Kerri's memories, which was more than anyone else could do. And he had a sinking feeling that was exactly what Yellow Eyes wanted.

"Look, Sammy, I don't like this anymore than you. I would give anything, anything, Sam, if it would help you live that normal, apple pie life you've been looking for. But I can't. All I can do is try and fix us right now. If you don't want to, I understand."

"I'll try. But, Dean, do you really think she would try that again?"

"She promised me she wouldn't, but at this point I don't know. She's so far gone, Sam, it's just—."

Dean blinked a few times, turning his eyes to the ceiling as he took several deep breaths. Sam knew what this was doing to his brother, he'd have to be blind to miss how much he and Kerri meant to each other. But at that moment, Sam couldn't shake the feeling there was something else going on. "I'll do my best."

"Thanks, Sammy. I don't wanna put you through this, especially since it was Evelyn and all."

"Kerri's my friend too, Dean. I'm gonna do whatever I can to help her. It's all gonna be ok."

"I hope to god you're right, Sammy."


	3. Chapter 3

wow, time flies. again, sorry for the long wait. thank you everyone for such great reviews :) enjoy.

**THE HIGH ROAD**

Chapter 3

Bruce Chetling sat in a back table at the dark, smoky bar. He scanned the papers in front of him while keeping a sharp ear turned to the rest of the room. He had been hunting most of his adult life, and if there was one thing he had learned, it was that other hunters were not to be trusted. Everyone had their own reasons for hunting, their own motivations driving them, and that was a recipe for disaster. It was a job better done alone, though some circumstances called for a partner. And now was one of those circumstances. He hadn't given the Winchester brothers a second thought since Montana— until Gordon Walker called him. That conversation had peaked his interests, and so Victor Rayner calling a few months after made the mystery all the more interesting. Kerri Harrison was still alive, and there was something hiding beneath her vivid blue eyes. And that intrigued him.

She had been bait before, nothing more or less to him. Now, though, now she was part of an ever deepening mystery and he couldn't get the redhead off his mind. He knew there was something dark about Sam Winchester, but he had never guessed Kerri was involved, too. Her family had been overly unremarkable, except for the youngest that is. Evelyn Harrison was one of the children like Sam, one of the ones with demon blood, one of the soldiers— but she was dead.

Tom Harrison was a mediocre hunter. He wasn't terrible, and in a tight spot he made good back up, but he had a job and a house— two things most hunters never saw. In Chetling's mind that made him weak and complacent. And his death was proof of that. He had gotten his wife killed, along with one of his daughters, his life was a footnote at best. Kerri though, she was another story entirely. Whatever secret she was hiding had little to do with her father or sister. But the hunter knew it had everything to do with Victor Rayner.

The witch wanted the redhead, Chetling could hear it in his voice, he just didn't know why. Sam was obviously the strongest of the three, the one true threat, but he wasn't the one Rayner wanted. But what peaked Bruce's interest the most was the hunt in Montana. Sam and Dean had used her as bait, and while their affection for her was clearly visible, it was also obvious that they had no idea a man like Victor Rayner wanted her. At least, at that time they didn't. The hunter was beyond certain the young girl's secret was now out.

Bruce shifted his eyes to his cell phone. Rayner and Gordon both told him about Sam, not Kerri, and the hunter knew the boy came first. If he was as dark and dangerous as Evelyn had been then Chetling knew he had to be dealt with, sooner rather than later. But there was one major obstacle standing in his way— Dean Winchester. The older of the brothers was not to be messed with, Chetling knew that beyond a doubt. Dean's reputation was enough to persuade most hunters to stay away from Sam, but Bruce had seen the blonde in action, and he knew he would be a problem. But if there was one thing the grizzled hunter liked, it was a challenge. Beside, Dean had one weak spot Chetling knew he could exploit— the boy's family.

Kerri was sick, and he knew the elder Winchester would do whatever he had to in order to keep her safe. But he also knew Sam came before all else. He needed some way to get the boys apart, something to get them off their game, something they would never see coming.

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Bobby stood leaning against the doorframe, staring off into the darkened room. Kerri, Dean and Sam were all asleep in the hospital room. The redhead was still under observation, which meant Sam still needed to stay close since they couldn't seal off the room. And Dean, well he refused to leave the two alone. It broke Bobby's heart. When the kids were little he'd had dreams for them, had wondered what they would grow up to be. They should have fallen in love, gotten married, had families— they should have had futures. And still when he looked at them, all he could see were the missed opportunities, the shadows of what could have been. He wanted to make the world better for the kids, but everything just got worse and worse.

He rubbed his tired eyes, thinking about John and Tom, of what they'd left in their wake. Bobby had never had children, and he was glad. He and his wife had wanted them, but life didn't work out that way. Instead she was possessed by a demon, and he was forced to kill her. The idea of raising a child in the hunting world was something which had always made Bobby sick to his stomach. He had prayed the kids would make it out of this life, that they would find something better— but those prayers had gone unanswered.

Bobby sighed, all he wanted to do was let them rest. They were children, at least to him they were. He wanted to make the world safe for them, wanted to keep the darkness away from them. But he knew that was impossible. Not only were they the children of hunters, they were smack in the middle of one of the biggest wars the world had ever seen. He took a few steps into the room, not the least bit surprised when Dean's eyes opened. Bobby motioned the young hunter closer, not wanting to talk in front of Sam and Kerri. The younger two needed rest, plus he didn't want the two troublemakers eavesdropping by pretending to be asleep. He'd already learned that lesson when they were kids.

Dean glanced back at Sam and Kerri before following Bobby out the door. "What's up?"

"I think I found that locket Sam was talking about."

"What? Where?"

"Cabin up near Vancouver. Another hunter found it a while back. Seems like Ev learned about it from him."

"What makes you think that?"

Bobby was quiet for a few moments, not sure he wanted to answer. Their memories had been tarnished as of late, what they thought was perfection marred by the reality of the world they lived in. And the one to suffer the most from that unrelenting reality was Evelyn. Bobby's heart broke for the brunette. She never stood a chance, and no one realized how much help she needed until it was much too late. His memories of Evelyn were of a little girl with a bright smile and pigtails, but that exterior hid a dark storm. Her soul was ripped apart by the hunting world long before the Yellow Eyed Demon had returned.

"Bobby?"

"Tom had asked me about it after Ev came to him. There was this hunter, Dave Michaels. He found a whole stash of supernatural stuff about a year or two before. He was killed a few weeks before Ev told Tom about the locket."

"Hunting's dangerous." Dean answered a bit too fast. Bobby shared a long look with the boy, knowing they had both come to the same conclusion. The same conclusion Tom Harrison had also come to.

"Yeah, yeah it is."

"So, you know where the locket is?"

"Michaels hid everything. It's just a guess it's in Vancouver. It's the only one of his storage areas I could dig up."

"It's better than nothing."

"There's something else, Dean."

"What?"

"Bruce Chetling."

"What about him?"

"Remember I told you he'd been asking a lot of questions about Sam lately?"

"Yeah."

"Well, three days ago he dropped off the radar."

"He's gone to ground?"

"I think he's moving in on Sam."

Dean remained stoic, but Bobby had learned how to read the young man long ago. He could see it in his expressive green eyes— he was afraid. Dean had gone up against Bruce Chetling on another hunt, and he knew just how cold and calculating the man could be.

"Vancouver?" Dean asked after a moment, looking back at the two sleeping figures in the hospital room.

"Yeah."

"Alright. I'll take Sam."

"What about Kerri?"

"Panic room."

"Dean, do you think that's smart? I mean, after what Kerri tried and Chetling being after Sam."

"No Bobby, I don't think it's a good idea, but I don't have anything else. Chetling shot Kerri, he was gonna kill her. I don't want him coming after us at your place. I don't want to put anyone else in danger. Sam and I can take care of ourselves. I just need you to take care of Kerri."

"Ok."

"Can I let them rest a little longer?"

"I think moving on would be better." Bobby answered sadly. He just wanted to let them rest, to give them reprieve, but the entire world seemed to be against them.

"Yeah." Dean mumbled, rubbing his face.

"You go wake them, I'll get the paperwork together."

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Dean watched Bobby disappear down the hall, his trepidation growing with each passing minute. He knew perfectly well what Bruce Chetling was capable of, and if he had gone to ground it was a sure bet he was about to make a play for Sam. He closed his eyes, taking a minute to ground himself. He just needed a few moment's rest, just enough to recover— but the would was denying him that one luxury. Not only was Kerri cursed and Sam carrying demon blood in his veins, now the hunting would knew about it. The last thing Dean needed right now was Bruce Chetling.

He had seen the hunter in action and he knew the man was as cunning as he was ruthless. Gordon Walker was dangerous, but he was predictable— Bruce Chetling wasn't. He was a serious predator, who now had Sam in his sights. Dean rubbed his eyes, looking back over at Kerri and Sam. All he wanted to do was protect them, to keep them safe. There were enemies coming at them from all sides— Yellow Eyes, Rayner and Chetling, hell even Kerri and Sam themselves. Both housed dangerous secrets within them, and neither knew what would come of it as time progressed. And Dean was lost in the middle of it all with no clear course of action.

He didn't want to leave Kerri behind, but he knew he couldn't take her with them either. Shielding her took strength from Sam and Dean knew his brother didn't have much to spare. Plus he didn't want Bruce getting Kerri, too. He just hoped Bobby's place was fortified enough to keep both Yellow Eyes and Rayner away. Dean hadn't been able to get the witch or demon out of his mind. Why had they attacked Kerri and then simply vanished, it didn't make any sense. Rayner had been attacking Kerri relentlessly at her house in Valley, and he had been insistent he search her mind from the moment they made it to her property. So why stop now? They were planning something, and Dean knew it only meant trouble.

Dean walked back into the room, heading over to Sam first. His brother was sitting in one of the chairs, his feet resting on Kerri's bed, fast asleep. And at that moment Dean would have given anything to let him stay that way. He sighed, rubbing his face before making his way to Sam and hitting his foot. The brunette woke up instantly, blinking a few times until his brown eyes focused on Dean. "What's wrong?"

"We need to talk." Dean whispered, motioning to the door. Sam glanced once at Kerri before following his brother.

"Dean?"

"Bobby's filling out the AMA paperwork. We're gonna head out soon."

"What? Why?"

"Bobby got a lead on the locket Evelyn showed you. He thinks it's in Vancouver."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Some hunter named Michaels found a bunch of stuff. He hid it all away but was killed before he wrote down any specifics. Bobby did some digging and talked to some of the guy's old contacts who seemed to think he had the locket, or something like it. He found an old storage unit Michaels owned. It's a long shot, but it's better than nothing." Dean knew he was mostly lying to Sam, but he didn't want to tell his brother the awful truth. Michaels had died after Evelyn learned he had the locket, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what really went down. Evelyn had gone dark side, they all knew that, but that didn't change the fact that she had been his little brother's best friend.

"That's great."

"Yeah." Dean sighed, glad Sam didn't ask any questions. Though he knew his brother would eventually learn the truth, he just hoped it was later rather than sooner.

"Dean."

"What?"

"There's something else you're not telling me."

"No there isn't." Dean scoffed, his heart leaping into his throat. There was a lot of things he wasn't telling Sam. Like the fact that Dad told Dean to kill him, or that Evelyn had actually killed another hunter in her quest to help her sister, or that a dangerous hunter had made Sam his next target. Yeah, there was a lot Dean was leaving out.

"Dean, I know you well enough to know when you're lying. Is Rayner back? I don't sense him."

"What do you mean sense him?"

"There's nothing pushing into Kerri's mind."

"So you don't need to protect her?"

"No, I still do. The barrier between her and the outside world seems to help keep her mind in order."

"This is getting too weird."

"You're telling me. So what's up?"

"Bruce Chetling." Dean sighed, it was the lesser of all the secrets.

"Is looking into me, I know."

"He was. He went to ground a few weeks ago."

"What!"

"We don't know why—."

"Yeah, you do. He's coming after me."

"You don't know that, Sam."

"I have demon blood in me, Dean, I know what he's thinking."

"It doesn't matter what he's thinking. He's not getting anywhere near you. You got that, Sammy."

Sam just nodded, taking a deep breath before pinching the bridge of his nose. "So, what's the plan?"

"You and me are gonna go to Canada."

"What about Kerri?"

"She's staying with Bobby."

"Dean—."

"I know it's a bad idea, so don't say it. Look, between Chetling, Yellow Eyes and Rayner I can't keep an eye on both of you at the same time. She'll be ok with Bobby. His house his almost as secure as her's plus he's got the panic room."

"I know he's prepared to deal with Rayner and Yellow Eyes, but is he prepared to deal with Kerri?"

"I don't know, Sammy. But shielding her takes too much away from you and if we're gonna go on a hunt plus keep an eye out for Chetling I need you sharp."

"I understand. I just wish there was another way."

"Me too, Sammy. Me too."

"I'm gonna go see if Bobby needs anything."

"Alright, I'll get Kerri up." Dean watched as Sam walked away, his heart heavy. That's what everyone was doing to him lately, walking away, and he had no idea how to stop them. The world just went on, leaving him in its wake. He turned back into the room, walking slowly to Kerri's bed, shaking the redhead gently. "Wake up."

"No." Kerri grumbled, turning away from him.

"Come on, Ker, we're heading out."

"Traitor."

"What?"

"You know how many questions the stupid doctor asked me?" Kerri turned to Dean, and it was obvious now that she had woken a little while ago.

"Well, I wanted them to keep an eye on you."

"I can put myself out again while they're 'looking'."

"Alright, then I wanted to make your life miserable."

"That sounds about right. Sounds to me like you're gonna do it again, too."

"You heard me and Sammy?"

"Yeah. Let me come with you."

"Ker, I can't."

"I can find some way to shield myself. I mean, I got control of it when it all first started, I can do it again. Sam said he hadn't sensed Rayner, which means it's just me. I can fix it."

"What if Rayner shows up again? What if Chetling finds Sam? I can't deal with both of them."

"We can. We got past Chetling before."

"That's because he was hunting Bramhurst, not us."

"Dean, please don't leave me here. Please, I swear I can help, just don't leave me."

Dean looking into Kerri's bright blue eyes, his heart breaking. Everyone had left her behind, but he knew he didn't have a choice. He couldn't keep both her and Sammy safe, he had to focus on his brother. Sam had to be his priority at that moment. Kerri would be safe in the panic room, but he knew Sam wouldn't be safe anywhere, not now that his secret was out. Kerri just rolled to her side, the silence heavier than any Dean had every felt. Everything had come down to one choice, one moment Dean had prayed he would never have to face— the moment he had to chose between Kerri and Sam.

"Paperwork's done, Sam's pulling the Impala up closer." Bobby said as he walked into the room. "You two about ready?"

"Yeah." Kerri answered before Dean had a chance to, pushing the covers away. "Just give me a minute to get changed."

"Need help?"

"Not from you." Kerri snapped. Dean knew he deserved it. She had asked him not to leave her behind, and he'd refused. He just hoped their friendship would be able to survive this hunt. They were on shaky ground, Dean knew it, and he didn't want any of them to fall.

"Ok, just— yell if you need me." Dean followed Bobby out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"What was that all about?"

"She overheard me and Sammy talking. She know's we're leaving her with you."

"She'll get over it."

"I don't know, Bobby. Everything's just so much different." Dean rubbed his face. Life was getting harder by the day, the hours more taxing, the decisions more heart breaking. And Dean didn't know how much longer he could take it.

"It's just all that's going on." Bobby shrugged. The mechanic was trying to say something to make him feel better, but Dean didn't know if there were any words that could fix where he, Sam and Kerri were currently at. "Soon as we get Kerri fixed up and Chetling off your tail it'll be better."

"Yeah." Would this ever get better? Would Sam ever really be safe? Was this a fight they would win? They were all questions Dean didn't have the answers for, and he was afraid he never would. He was saved from the painful conversation when the door open. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Kerri sighed, not meeting Dean's gaze.

"Hope you don't mind, Ker, I brought the Firebird." Bobby chimed in, looking Kerri over as he spoke. While Kerri was standing on her own she looked like a stiff wind would knock her over. They needed to get her out of the hospital and back to safety and fast.

"No, that's fine. I actually feel better riding in it."

"You're riding with me." Dean answered quickly. He didn't want them to separate until Kerri was in the panic room.

"Only if you're driving the Firebird."

"I'm not gonna argue about this with you, Ker."

"You're right, you're not. Last I checked I'm still a fully functioning adult which means I can make up my own mind. I'm riding in my car."

"Fine." Dean dug through his pocket, fishing out the Impala keys and tossing them to a stunned looking Bobby. "But you sure as hell aren't driving it."

"Why not?"

"You just got out of the hospital. Do you really wanna total your car because you're stubborn?"

"I feel fine."

"Yeah well you don't look it."

"So now we're insulting each other?"

"I'm not insulting you, I'm stating a fact."

"You couldn't find a nicer way to state it?"

"Apparently not."

"Thank god I'm not riding in your car. You two ready to go, Sam's probably wondering where we are."

"One prison to another." Kerri mumbled, pushing past Dean. The blonde just shook his head, this was gonna be a long drive.

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Kerri walked down the hallway as quickly and confidently as she could. She didn't want to admit to Dean that he was right, but exhaustion was winning against her stubbornness. This was the first time since her little experiment that she had actually been up and about, and it was taxing. She would never tell Dean, but her little stunt had brought her closer to death than either of the brothers knew. Hell, even she didn't know why she woke up again. In her heart she knew exactly what she had done, knew the outcome of her actions only too well— but she would never tell Dean that.

Now that she had woken, though, she couldn't get what she had seen out of her mind. Family is your foe. What the hell did that even mean? She didn't have a family anymore, not unless she counted Sam and Dean, so how could they be her foe. Was there something else Evelyn or Tom had done? Or was there something her mother had done? They were all questions Kerri knew she needed to find the answers for, and she needed to find those answers alone. Dean had Sam to worry about, she shouldn't burden him anymore.

She hadn't been thinking when she asked to go with them. Impulse told her not to be alone, but she had been alone for years before the brothers had come back, she could do it again. She closed her eyes as she walked, it was days like this she wished she had never left that note. Kerri was jolted from her thoughts when she ran square into Sam.

"Whoa." Sam grabbed Kerri's shoulders, steadying her. "You ok?"

"Yeah." Kerri gave a weak smile. "I'm alright. I didn't see you there."

"That's what happens when you walk around with your eyes closed."

"Good point."

"Are you sure you're ok? You seem a little out of it."

"I woke up at the hospital, I think that's allowed. I swear, Sam, I'm ok."

Kerri tried to reassure Sam, but one look into his deep brown eyes and the redhead knew she was failing. Sam looked lost, afraid, beaten down, and Kerri didn't know what to do to help him. He was a good kid, he didn't deserve anything that was happening to him. Sam was the most giving person Kerri knew, the most forgiving person she had ever met. He always asked questions first, always tried to understand the enemy, to see if they really were an enemy. And now he was being hunted. It wasn't right or fair, but that wouldn't make it go away.

"We all ready to go then?" Kerri turned to Dean, the pair sharing a long look before she turned back to the door. This wasn't his fault and she knew he was doing his best, but she still couldn't help but be angry. Her entire life was slipping away, and she didn't know how to get it back.

"Did I miss something?" Sam asked, following Kerri to the Firebird.

"Same old, Same old."

"Yeah, seems to be a lot of that lately." Sam sighed, slouching in the passenger seat.

Kerri looked at the brothers as Dean climbed into the driver's seat, when had their lives gotten so complicated? She could remember when their biggest problem was sneaking into the bar to hustle pool. Now their problems were life and death, good and evil. Every move they made would either save or destroy the world, and they were lost in it all. There had to be something they could do, there had to be someway to win— and Kerri knew the answer was with her.

The redhead closed her eyes, sinking down into the leather seats as the engine started. She didn't know why, but she felt at ease when she was in the Firebird. She had first noticed it when they were driving to Bobby's. She thought the relief came when she was closer to Sam, but she had tested that theory in the hospital, and his distance made no real difference. No, there was something about the Firebird, but she didn't quite know what.

It made no sense, really, since the car hadn't always been her's. Her father had passed it down to Evelyn, Kerri choosing her grandfather's old truck over the small coup. The car hadn't really become special to her until her sister's death. She held onto it because it was something Evelyn had loved, the brunette's home away from home. Evelyn had cherished that car, had seen it as her one and only ticket to freedom. And for Kerri, it was now her strongest link to her lost sister. But that still didn't explain why she felt so comfortable in it all of the sudden.

Kerri's eyes flew open, she couldn't believe she forgot. She had put it there for safe keeping after the Trickster, and then she had forgotten about it. She leaned over, rifling around beneath the passenger seat in front of her.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked, as Kerri continued to search beneath Sam's seat.

"Picking up trash, what's it to you?" Kerri yelled back, smiling when she found the small box wedged in the framework of the seat. She flipped it open, pulling out the intricate silver bracelet before replacing the box.

A rush of warmth filled her body as she held the bracelet. Her mind came to a complete rest, the torrent of information which had been bombarding her lessening almost instantly. She couldn't believe she had overlooked it for so long. She couldn't believe the answer was that simple.

"Kerri, are you ok?" Sam asked.

Kerri sat up, meeting Sam's eyes. "I'm fine, why?"

"Something happened."

"What do you mean, something happened?" Dean pressed, glancing in the rearview mirror.

"Oh, how so?" Kerri feigned ignorance. She hadn't thought of Sam, all she was focused on was the reprieve she knew the bracelet would offer.

"I don't know, there's just something different, like something else is there."

"Like Rayner? Or Yellow Eyes?" Dean asked, his voice on edge.

"No. It's like there's another a wall around Kerri, something stronger than me."

"Evelyn?"

"No, not Evelyn. She's gone."

"Are you sure, Sammy. You said she was gone before."

"I lied before. Believe me, Dean, she's gone."

"So what, then?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe it's something residual from when I searched my mind the last time. Maybe I opened something I didn't know about." Kerri offered, trying to throw the boys off.

"And it took now to take effect."

"Hey, I'm just giving ideas like everyone else."

"What were you doing under the seat?"

"Cleaning up some of the water bottles back here." Kerri held up an empty water bottle. At that moment she couldn't be happier for her messy car.

"You wouldn't lie to me, right, Kerri." Dean asked, his eyes meeting Kerri's through the rearview mirror. She stared into his green eyes long and hard— she didn't want to lie to him, but she didn't want to be trapped either. She didn't know what Dean would do if he learned about the bracelet. He was trying to keep her safe, in her heart she knew that, but she couldn't be a prisoner anymore. This was her life, and she wasn't about to sit on the sidelines.

"I swear, Dean, I wouldn't lie to you."


	4. Chapter 4

_hello all. sorry about the long wait, it's been a busy summer. thank you for the great reviews, enjoy :)_

**THE HIGH ROAD**

Chapter 4

Sam sat on the hood of the Impala, staring out over the junk yard. What had he done wrong? He tried to be a good person. He prayed everyday, he always acted with the best of intensions— so why was the world out to destroy him? It wasn't his fault he had demon blood in his veins. It wasn't his fault Yellow Eyes wanted him. He was just trying to be normal. That was all he wanted. He wanted a normal job and a normal family— was that too much to ask for? He wished he could make others see who he really was, that he could make others understand. But if the hunting community was one thing it was blind to reason.

He closed his eyes, focusing on Kerri for probably the hundredth time since they had left the hospital— but he still couldn't get past whatever barrier she had managed to build. It wasn't that he was completely blocked from her, it was more like watching a tv with bad reception. He could still sense her presence, but he couldn't get much further than that. He had asked her what she had done while they were getting her set in the panic room— Dean having gone for food— but the redhead had insisted she didn't know what he was talking about. And Sam hoped like hell Kerri was lying, because that opened up a whole new set of problems.

Yellow Eyes and Rayner were both still out there, and Sam knew both were stronger than him. He was doing his best to shield Kerri, but without Evelyn to teach him Sam was floundering. He didn't know if he should back away from the new barrier or press against it. If he should leave it intact or try to destroy it. Maybe Kerri had figured out a way to help herself. Maybe something had triggered in her mind after her experiment and her brain was now protecting itself. Or maybe it was all some kind of trick. Sam just didn't know anymore. Maybe this was Rayner and Yellow Eyes' doing, luring them all into a trap with a false sense of security. Or maybe it was something else entirely.

They needed to keep an eye on her, needed to watch her for anymore changes. And they couldn't do that from Vancouver. They needed to stay together, whether in South Dakota or Canada, but they couldn't and shouldn't separate. He just didn't know any way to talk Dean out of his current plan. His brother was insistent— he couldn't watch both of them, so it was safer if they were apart. Sam knew where his brother's fear came from, and he knew it was justified. Dean needed both him and Kerri in his life, but when push came to shove one thing would always be perfectly clear— Dean's choice. Sam knew deep in his heart that if both he and Kerri were in danger, if his brother was forced to save only one, Dean would chose Sam. And the brunette also knew that choice would destroy his brother.

Kerri was like family to Sam, but she was more than that to Dean. She was a lifeline, a soulmate. "When did everything get so complicated?" Sam asked allowed, looking back up at the sky.

"I think when we were born."

Sam spun around to find Kerri behind him. It unnerved him that he couldn't sense where she was at any particular moment. He should have known she was behind him, should have sensed her— both as a psychic and a hunter. He looked her over long and hard, she seemed better. For the past few weeks her skin had been pale and yellow, her eyes sunken— she had looked sick. Now, though, she looked like her old, vibrant self again. And while Sam was glad for the change, it also worried him. "I didn't know you were there."

"I gathered that."

"You should be in the panic room."

"I'm ok. You're shielding's getting better."

"This isn't me, Ker, I told you that already. Something else happened."

"Well, then something else is working great."

"It doesn't worry you that we don't know what that something else is?"

"I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. I'm not stuck in the panic room and I don't feel like my head is about to explode. I'm good with that."

"What if it's Rayner, or Yellow Eyes?"

"Why would they do this?"

"Maybe to give us a false sense of security. As long as you're in the panic room nothing can get you. Maybe they know that."

"What about you and Dean? You're not in the panic room."

"We can take care of ourselves."

"And I can't? Last I checked I took care of myself for years before you two showed up."

"That was before Rayner's deal came due. Tell me honestly, would you have survived that if we weren't there?" Sam still shuttered at the thought. One small action, one moment in time, had effected all of their futures. Had Kerri not left that note she would be dead now, taken away by Yellow Eyes, and he and Dean would never have known. Sam would have gone on thinking the Harrisons didn't exist, and Dean would have gone on hoping they were happy. But then, maybe ignorance was bliss, as so many people said.

"Why won't you two let me go?" Kerri redirected the conversation back to their current hunt. She knew as well as Sam what would have happened had they not been there.

"We already told you, you're safer here."

"You took me on the Bramhurst hunt."

"Oh yeah, and that wasn't a huge mistake? You almost died. Plus, Chetling knows about you now."

"What different does that make?"

"He's hunting me, Kerri."

"I know that."

"And you don't think he'd use you as bait? Dean doesn't want you there because he can't—."

"Chose between us, I know. And I wouldn't expect him to."

"That doesn't bother you?"

"You're his brother."

"And you're his best friend."

"I was his best friend. That was a long time ago, Sam."

"You might think that, but you're wrong. I've seen the way he looks at you, I've seen how he changes when he's around you. You can't stand there and tell me you don't matter to him because I know you're wrong."

"Sam—."

"You don't have to try and explain anything. You might not see it, and Dean might not see it, but I do. And I'm not about to come between that. All my life I've watched Dean give up what he wants and needs to help someone else. He doesn't complain about it, doesn't want anything in return, it's just part of who he is. And that's why I can't be responsible for taking away something I know he really needs and wants."

"You're really over thinking this."

"No, I'm not. You two are both just too burned by the world to see it. He needs you, Kerri, more than I think even he knows, and I'm not gonna make him give up something like that. If he wants you to stay here I'm gonna back him up."

"You keep saying 'If Dean wants it'. Do you think it's a good idea, or are you just lying to yourself? Tell me the truth, Sam."

"I don't agree with Dean's plan. I think we need to stay together, especially since your physical state is changing. But what if Dean's right?"

"Right?"

"What if you come and something tries to use you against us. What if you die? I couldn't handle that, Kerri. I can't be responsible for that."

"What if I die here? Then it was Dean's decision to leave me. How do you think that'll make him feel?"

Sam knew the redhead was right. It was a catch twenty-two. There was no guarantee Kerri would be safe with Bobby or with them— it was just a gamble. If Kerri went with them and was killed it would be Sam's fault and Dean would be devastated. If she stayed behind and was killed it would be Dean's fault and Dean would be devastated. No matter what, it all ended the same way.

"Why do we keep talking about you dying?" Sam asked, his voice cracking. "I mean, aren't we going to Vancouver to save you?"

"That's the plan." Kerri answered, her voice growing quiet. They were talking about her as if she was already lost, but for the life of him Sam couldn't see an outcome any different. Everyone they cared about was gone, what made Kerri special? "But what if this doesn't work, Sam? What if the locket isn't the answer. Remember what Rayner said?"

"It's organic."

"It's one brain, Sam, you saw that when we were in there. There isn't a secret section and a Kerri section, it's just there."

"And there's no way to tell the difference."

"So even if this locket does suck out memories—."

"It'll take everything. I know, I thought about that."

"Sam," Kerri sighed, sitting beside Sam on the hood of the Impala. She suddenly looked very old. "I don't wanna come with you because I'm stubborn, or because I don't wanna be locked in the basement anymore. I mean, that's part of it, but that's not the real reason."

"Can we please not talk about this." Sam breathed, looking anywhere but at Kerri. He couldn't have this conversation, not after everything else he'd been through the last few years.

"There's no fixing me. Taking the supernatural information out will destroy my mind, we both know that."

"What if I'm in there? What if I act like a filter?"

"And what if that doesn't work? What if you're a vegetable, too? I can't let you do that."

"Why not? Ker, it could work."

"Or Dean could say goodbye to us both. I'm not gonna risk that."

"So what, you want us to give up the hunt?"

"No, I want you to go. But I want to be with you. It's just— I want at least one more happy memory before they're all gone."

Sam looked at Kerri long and hard. He knew what she meant. Even if they found the locket there was no guarantee it would work, hell for all he knew it would kill her. He still couldn't turn back, though. There had to be an answer, something they had overlooked, and he knew he couldn't give up now. "I'm sorry, Kerri."

Kerri took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. "Ok. Goodbye, Sam."

666666666666

Dean leaned back into the shadows of the living room as Kerri walked by. He took several deep breaths, trying to steady himself. He didn't want to believe what he had heard through the open window. There was no way Kerri could be right, he wouldn't allow it. He would figure it out, he always figured it out. There had to be some angle they weren't seeing, some theory they weren't trying. This couldn't be goodbye. This couldn't be the end— even though his mind was telling him to accept that fact.

They had all been searching long and hard, but so far nothing had come of it. Nothing other than the locket, at least. That had to be the key. Evelyn had been looking into Kerri's condition longer than anyone else. If she thought enough of this locket to kill for it then it had to be important, right? The only other explanation was that the brunette was too far gone to know what was right or wrong. Which was probably the more realistic of the two outlooks. Dean still couldn't believe what Bobby had said— Evelyn killed. The blonde had expected it, but he had never thought he'd have the proof thrown in his face. There was no clear cut evidence, but all fingers pointed to Evelyn, and it broke Dean's heart.

To him Evelyn was the little girl in pigtails, the little girl who threw tea parties every afternoon. She wasn't the dark, empty woman who's spirit he had seen— that wasn't his Evelyn. She had been pure, innocent, alive. She had a future, brighter than any of theirs— that was his Evelyn. He still couldn't believe the girl he remembered had grown into the girl who had possessed Sam. It didn't seem logical, didn't seem right. Then again, nothing in their lives seemed right anymore.

When Sam had told him about the letter two years before Dean had felt a joy he couldn't put into words. The Harrisons, it was like having a prayer answered. He had been excited, and anxious, his heart beating a mile a minute when he had finally returned to Valley after his long absence. It was a dream he never thought would come true, something good, something right in a world of darkness. And then, he had pulled into the drive. From the moment he saw the house he knew everything was different. And he had been reeling from it ever since. He had been looking for the best part of his childhood, only to find it had been destroyed. The only thing he had left was Kerri.

He turned to the basement stairs, staring into the darkened doorway Kerri had disappeared into. He refused to lose anymore of his family. He knew what he wanted in his life— Sam and Kerri— and he knew how to keep them safe. He had to keep them apart, he knew that for certain. Sam was unconscious during the Roadhouse battle with the Trickster, but Dean wasn't, he remembered the choice Kerri had made. He didn't blame her, not once, but he also never forgot it. The demigod had asked Kerri what was more important, the information in her mind or Sam's life. The redhead chose her mind, and Dean knew he couldn't fault her for that. What she knew could destroy the world, and she was right to chose millions of lives over just one, but that one had still been Sammy's.

And that's what was at the root of all their problems— what was the value of jut one life? How could one person be more important than countless others? And how could Dean be made to chose. All his life he'd sacrificed for others, people he didn't even know, and all the while he never asked for anything. The only thing he ever wanted, the only thing he knew he could never live without was his family, his brother. And now the world was asking him to make the ultimate sacrifice. It wasn't fair. Besides, he had already been forced to chose between Sam and Kerri once before.

Dean could still remember it like it was yesterday. He could still feel his brother's cold skin as he pulled him from the ground. He could still feel his heart pounding in his chest when Dad took Sam from him, screaming at him to get in the car. And he could still hear his father's harsh words when he faltered. He had turned back to Kerri, wanting to make sure the demon hadn't gone for her. But Dad had seen it differently.

_"Get in the car, Dean, now!"_ _ John screamed, already starting the engine as Dean stood in the yard. The teen scrambled into the car, climbing into the backseat with Sam. He turned around one more time, searching for Kerri, for the only thing he knew could keep him sane. _

_ "You wanna stay?" Dean spun at the question, his father's sharp eyes burning him. "You wanna give up on this family? Then get the hell out of this car."_

_ "But Dad—."_

_ "You got thirty seconds, Dean. Either get out or shut the god damn door."_

It had never been a choice, not back then. Dean could still hear the creak of the door, metal banging against metal, like the door to a cage closing. He had found normal, had found happiness, and then he had been forced to chose. So what was the value of one human life? When it came to Sammy, it was priceless, and that terrified Dean more than anything else. Sam came before everything— no matter the consequences.

Dean pushed away from the wall, glancing once more at the basement before turning toward the front door. They needed to get moving, the sooner they found the locket the sooner this nightmare would be over. He made his way slowly across the yard, making enough noise to let Sam know he was there. But he didn't say anything— hell there wasn't anything to say. He didn't want his brother to know he had been eavesdropping. More importantly, he didn't want to talk about what they were facing. He didn't want to talk about the possibility of losing everything he held dear.

"So." Dean started, still a few steps back from his brother. "You ready to go?"

"What? Now?" Sam turned, rubbing his eyes. Dean's heart froze when he saw the younger man. Sam's eyes were red, his skin drawn and pale. This had to end, Dean knew that, they had to fix this now.

"Yeah. No time like the present."

"We aren't ready."

"Yes we are. We know where we're going, we know what we're looking for. How are we not ready?"

"Because— we're not."

"Not going isn't gonna change anything, Sammy."

"What are you talking about? I just mean we need to do more research."

"I heard you and Kerri talking." Dean paused, taking a breath before continuing. "We can't just stop, Sam, we can't hide anymore. If we're gonna even try to win we need to keep moving. We can't stop fighting now."

"What are we even fighting, Dean? Ourselves? I have demon blood in me, Kerri's brain's been rewired since she was two. Are we fighting the supernatural or are we fighting what we truly are?"

"You're my brother, Sam Winchester. Kerri's my best friend. You're not something dark, you're not something bad. We're fighting the Demon that did this to our family, the Demon that killed Mom, Jess and Evelyn. Don't twist this around in your head. None of this is you're fault, you're not a bad person."

"Evelyn was bad."

"No she wasn't. Evelyn was lost, we let her down. But I promise, Sammy, I'm not gonna let you down." Dean held his younger brother's gaze, trying to convey the sincerity of his words. He had let Evelyn down, they all had, but Dean wasn't about to repeat the mistakes of the past, not if he could help it.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hello. thank you all once again for the great reviews. sorry about the long wait. i got married 2 1/2 weeks ago :) and have been super busy since. with everything calming down i'll hopefully get the next few chapters up faster. :) enjoy. _

**THE HIGH ROAD**

Chapter 5

The drive from South Dakota to Vancouver was long and quiet. Neither brother wanted to talk about the hunt, or what was at stake. The past few months had been a major upheaval for both of them. Learning of both Sam and Kerri's conditions, Evelyn returning, and Yellow Eyes returning— it was all a whirlwind, and Dean was lost to it. He couldn't see a way out, couldn't see a light at the end of the tunnel. All he saw was a plot he didn't want to be involved in, a plan that had been set in motion long before he was even born. Yellow Eyes knew Sam would one day be born, decades before anyone else, the Demon had known a special child would be born that night. It was surreal.

Dean had always been destined for this, a life of heartache and loss— it was something he was never going to escape. He thought if he just killed the Yellow Eyed Demon, if he avenged his mother all this would be over. Sam would be able to live a normal life, Dean might be able to go back to Valley— but it wasn't the case. It would never be the case. They were wrapped up in something bigger than all of them, something bigger than anything the world had ever seen, and there was no way out. He and his brother would always be hunters, would always be different— normal would never be an option. Sure they could try, could pretend, but beneath the surface the truth would always linger.

Dean glanced at Sam as he pulled the Impala into the parking lot of a motel. His younger brother had been staring absently out the window for most of the ride. Dean wished he could comfort him, wished he could offer him some kind of encouragement, that he could tell him everything would be alright— but he knew he would be lying. This was a last ditch effort to save Kerri, and it wouldn't solve any of their other problems. Rayner and Yellow Eyes were still out there somewhere, and Chetling was now hunting Sam. Saving Kerri wouldn't stop any of that, the only thing it would stop was heartbreak.

The blonde knew he should be focusing on the bigger picture, knew he should be looking for a way to stop Yellow Eyes or get a lead on Chetling— but he couldn't focus on anything other than Kerri. The redhead was dying, drifting away, and he was desperate to stop it. Were they being reckless, probably, but that didn't matter to Dean. He had to save her first, or at least try, everything else could wait.

"Home sweet home." Dean remarked, killing the engine. The silence was getting to be too much for him.

"Yeah." Sam sighed, still staring out the window.

"You ok, Sam?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm fine." Sam turned to him, offering a weak smile before pushing open the door. Dean stared at the empty passenger seat for a moment, trying to reign in his emotions. He had to focus on the task at hand, had to stay in the moment. He couldn't let his mind wander to the possibility of 'what if'.

He turned his attention back to his brother, watching through the office window as Sam pulled out a credit card, smiling at the clerk as he booked a room with yet another false identity. It was as routine as breathing— it was their normal. Sam returned to the car a few minutes later, the pair driving around to their room at the back of the motel. Dean kept trying to tell himself this was just another hunt, just another job, but that couldn't ease the ache in his body. They were trying to save Kerri's life, trying to save one of the greatest part of Dean's past. Failure wasn't an option. There was only one acceptable outcome— Kerri's survival.

Once in the room the boys fell into their usual routine. Sam powered up his laptop and began checking over all their notes, searching for some connection or bit of information he had missed. And Dean went to the weapons, cleaning, and organizing their entire arsenal. But still, it didn't feel right. It felt like something was missing, like there was a void between them, a barrier they couldn't pass.

Dean knew Sam didn't agree with his choice to leave Kerri behind, the younger man hadn't exactly made his feelings secret. He could still hear the conversation Kerri and Sam had had in the junkyard. They were saying goodbye to each other, talking about the past, but not the future. But then, what was their future? What did they have to look forward to? What did they have other than the fight? They were facing war, and that was all Dean could see. As soon as he fought one battle, another came up to take its place. The future for Dean was a battle ground, with no end in sight.

"We need to talk."

Dean looked up in surprise. He knew they needed to talk, but he didn't know where to start. And he didn't think Sam was in any mood to chime in. "We do?"

"When Kerri and I were talking, how much did you hear?"

"Pretty much all of it. I was watching the basement, when I saw her come up I followed."

"So why'd you give me the whole 'we're the good guys speech'?"

"What do you mean?"

"You heard us."

"Yeah, and?"

"You really think a pep talk is gonna gloss over everything? Do you really think that still works?"

"Of course I do."

"Why?"

"Why what?" Dean didn't know what his brother was trying to say. Sam's voice was wavering, but his brown eyes were locked on Dean.

"Why do you believe that? I mean, after everything— how can you still believe that a few words will fix everything?"

"Because I have to, Sammy. I can't stop being who I am, I can't stop fighting. This is who I am, this is what I do. And hell, I've made it this far. I have to believe I can keep going. 'Cause the minute I stop believing that— then I'm nothing."

"Why can't I be that certain? I don't believe in anything anymore, Dean. I don't think we can beat Yellow Eyes, I don't think we can save Kerri, and I don't think I can stop myself from going dark side. It's just— I don't believe in anything anymore. I can't."

"It's just because of how things are right now, Sammy. When everything cools down—."

"You say that like it's gonna happen. Like there's something else. This isn't an ordinary hunt, this isn't something we can kill. This is us, this is what we are."

"This isn't—."

"Yes it is. This is us, Dean, even if you don't want to admit it. This locket, we're just running from the truth. I've been inside Kerri's mind, and Rayner's right, it's organic. I couldn't tell what was her and what was the information she learned."

"That's because you two are looking at it wrong. I know all the dangerous stuff she's learned is mixed up in her mind, because that's how it's supposed to be. There isn't Kerri and information, there's just Kerri. I mean, we live by learning, Sammy, that's what makes us who we are. All we need to do is control her mind, we don't need to erase it."

"That sounds all well and good, Dean, but even you know that won't work. Her dad tried that, he kept her locked away."

"I know, but I can't do that to her."

"That's what you're doing now."

"And look what happened. She almost killed herself, Sammy. She can't be caged, she can't be still. Maybe for a little while, yeah, but that's not who she is. Even if we know it isn't going to work I still have to try, Sam."

"What happens afterwards if this doesn't work?"

"If there is a God, then we won't have to find out." Dean locked eyes with his brother, conveying with a look what he couldn't say in words. They couldn't let themselves get wrapped up in their emotions, they had to focus on the hunt.

"So," Dean began after what felt like an eternity of silence, "how far out's the stash from here?"

"Uh, about nine or ten miles out into the back country. We'll have to hike most of it. He really went out of his way to keep this stuff safe."

"Yeah, shame he didn't do as much to keep himself safe."

"Yeah." Sam answered absently, pulling up another website. "Huh."

"Huh, what?"

"Over the past few weeks eleven hikers have gone missing in that same area."

"So? Hikers vanish."

"Yeah, but not that many. It's headline news, rangers actually closed down the area."

"Seriously? Well at least there won't be anyone up there to get in our way."

"Maybe we should look into this, Dean."

"What's to look into? Missing hikers, ok, any supernatural red flags? Mutilated bodies, strange symbols, sulfur, weird weather?"

"Not that I can tell. Look, give me until morning, ok?"

"You need to rest to, Sam."

"I'll be fine. I'm just gonna get a little more intel."

"Ok." Dean turned his attention back to the weapons in front of him. He didn't want this to get complicated. He wanted to find the locket and get back to Kerri and Bobby, the last thing he needed was to stumble into a hunt.

66666666666

Kerri crept through the dark living room, moving as quietly as she could. She knew Bobby slept in the room adjacent and she didn't want to wake the mechanic. She'd managed to get a glimpse of the boys' paperwork while they were packing, and knew exactly where they were going. Now it was only a matter of getting out of the house and following them— without them knowing of course. She didn't want them to worry about her, to feel like they had to look out for her. She could take care of herself, she didn't need to burden them. Besides, they had enough on their shoulders already.

The redhead pulled open the front door a crack, slipping out into the cool night as she reached into her pocket, fingering the silver bracelet. She glanced back at the house, taking a deep breath before turning toward the yard.

"You gotta be slicker than that."

Kerri spun as Bobby came around the corner. "How—."

"I'm a better hunter than you'll ever be, Kid."

"Bobby, I have to go."

"Not on my watch."

"You don't understand."

"Then why don't we go back inside and you tell me what's worth more than your own life. And while we're at it, you can tell me how you got better so quick."

"I don't know."

"Bull. I might not have seen you in over a decade, but you haven't changed. Not as much as you think you have. You did something to fix the problem, or at least push it off, and we all have a right to know about it— especially those boys."

"I'm telling you the same thing I told them—."

"That you don't care."

"Excuse me?"

"Do you know what those boys have gone through for you? Do you know how much they're fighting for you? Do you even know how much you mean to them? You're being pigheaded and selfish."

"If I tell them they'll just lock me up again."

"You sure about that?"

"This is Dean we're talking about."

"So you admit you did something. And that something doesn't sound safe if you ask me."

"It's safe. Well relatively."

"Kerri—."

"It's this bracelet I have. I've had it forever, but it was hidden in my car. I forgot about it until I realized that every time I was in the Firebird I felt better. I thought it was just because the car was comforting, but then I remembered the bracelet was under the seat."

"Some bracelet is doing all this?" Bobby eyed her skeptically.

"It's not just 'some bracelet'."

"So you found some supernatural artifact and decided to start using it? Are you really that stupid, it could be cursed."

"If it is then it's not working. I've had the thing since I was sixteen. Hell, the first time we used it I was eleven."

"We?"

Kerri's eyes widened when she realized her mistake. No one knew about the Watcher other than her sister and the boys. They had sworn each other to secrecy, and they had all kept that promise. Now she'd gone and blown the lid off more than one secret.

"Never mind." Kerri mumbled, pushing past Bobby and back into the house. Maybe if she walked away he would forget about it.

"Don't you never mind me. What are you all hiding? What the hell happened when you were eleven?"

Kerri took a deep breath, dropping down onto the worn sofa. "Do you remember when Dad and John went on a hunt and left us alone for two weeks?"

"Yeah, it was the first time I tried to shoot the both of them. What kind of ass leaves kids home alone for weeks. But as far as I know nothing happened, just a storm."

"The storm wasn't all that natural."

"What! You got attacked at your own home when you were a kid and never told anyone?"

"What do you think would have happened it we told them? We took care of it."

"You were eleven. What the hell did you take care of?"

"There was a lake in the woods, a spirit lived there. It took kids, lured them away from their parents and drowned them in the lake. I guess it never attacked because my dad was a hunter, but as soon as they left, it started. It went after Evelyn and Sam first, but we managed to get them back. Then it took me. It almost killed me, but Dean ended up falling in the lake, and he had the bracelet in his pocket. It killed the spirit almost instantly, and set all the spirits in the lake free."

"How did he get the bracelet?"

"You found it on a hunt and gave it to my dad."

All the color drained from Bobby's face, making Kerri's heart skip a beat. "It's lost. You don't have it." His voice was weak, haunted. "Your daddy and I tried to find out what it was, but by the time I did, it was gone. Where did you find it?"

"Find wouldn't be the right word. I took it."

"You knew better."

"At that point in my life I didn't. It was the day the Yaksha attacked Sam. I was looking for something in the basement that could help and the bracelet fell off a shelf. That's what killed the demon. The bracelet sucked it up, it saved Sam's life."

"John never told me that."

"He didn't know. I just told Dean about it last year. I picked up the bracelet and ran out just in time to see the boys leaving."

"And you've had it ever since then? Why didn't you say something?"

"Nobody asked me."

"Damn it, Kerri, do you even know what you have? That's the Ring of Solomon."

"What?"

"I didn't think it was true at first, but the more I read the more I realized that's what it was."

"I thought that as supposed to be made of gold, or bronze or something."

"Same here. But like I said, the more I dug the more I realized what it was your father had. And then it just vanished."

"My dad never mentioned it. He never asked me for it."

"Why would he. He didn't even know you knew it existed. You should have put it back."

"That bracelet saved the boys lives. I wasn't gonna leave it on a shelf to gather dust."

"I got an extra curse box upstairs, I'll lock it up."Bobby sighed, holding his hand out.

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"It's mine, I'm not giving it up."

"It needs to be kept safe."

"It is. I've had it with me for fourteen years."

"If someone or something finds out you have that it could be dangerous."

"We've already been through that, actually, and we're all fine."

"What?"

"Why do you think I told Dean about it. The Trickster showed up. "

"This isn't a game, Kerri."

"I know that. This is my life, and that bracelet is keeping me safe. And I'm not about to give it up."

"Fine. But you're not about to leave this house, either."

"I'm ok, Bobby. I'm safe."

"You're far from that."

"The boys need me."

"Not on a hunt they don't. You can't follow them everywhere they go, Kerri. Some times you have to let them go."

"Enough people have let them go already, including you." Kerri turned on her heels, heading back down to the panic room. Too many people had turned their backs on the boys, had decided the boys were fine on their own— and look where it got them. Come hell or high water, she was gonna find them, and she was gonna make sure they came back alive.


	6. Chapter 6

_hello everyone. sorry this took so long, i know it's been several months. life has just been eh, plus severe writer's block. i'll never leave a story or series unfinished though, so no matter how long it takes everything will get written and posted. thank you all so much for your great patience. _

**THE HIGH ROAD**

Chapter 6

Sam stood in the cold forest, staring out over the eerie darkness— but his heart was elsewhere. He couldn't stop thinking about Evelyn, about what the other psychic had done, what she had become. How could things have gone so badly? Evelyn had been happy, had been full of life, had been a ray of sunshine in a darkened world. How had she turned into a killer? Sam knew his brother was trying to hide the truth from him, but it had been in vein. Evelyn found out about the necklace, learned Michaels had it, then the other hunter turned up dead— it wasn't that hard to put two and two together. And once again, Sam wondered if he and Evelyn were destined to share the same fate.

Everything about his life was broken, his memories nothing more than a collage of shattered remains. Kerri, Evelyn, Tom, John, even Dean were different, broken, the war having erased who they had once been, who they could have been. But now, finally, things looked like they were changing— and Sam couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. They were so close to an answer, so close to reprieve— and that wasn't normal for them. Sam was used to clawing his way through life, he wasn't used to things falling into place— wasn't used to hunts being easy. So the fact that all the pieces had fallen into place had the young hunter off his guard.

Dean said fate finally decided to give them a chance, but Sam wasn't so sure about that. If he didn't know any better he'd say something else was there, waiting for them, drawing them in. It was like they had been lured there— the promise of a cure for Kerri outweighing their common sense. But he wasn't about to say anything to his brother. Dean would tell him he was being negative, jinxing them. Besides, Dean needed Kerri, and Sam knew his older brother wouldn't turn around because of a bad feeling. This was their last chance, a shot in the dark, and they had to keep going. So the brunette kept his feelings to himself as he followed his brother along the mountain trail.

"Think we should keep an eye out for those missing hikers?" Sam asked after another hour of walking. He couldn't handle the silence anymore, couldn't be left alone with his thoughts. His mind was too dark, too terrifying, and it was eating him alive.

Dean stopped, sighing before turning to Sam. "You didn't find anything supernatural in the reports."

"I know."

"So why would we look into it?"

"We're in the area."

"For other reasons. We don't have a lot of time here, Sammy."

"I know. But don't you think it's weird. I mean, we find out about this locket from Evelyn, and track it down to a place where a bunch of hikers have recently started going missing. There's no such thing as a coincidence."

"Yes there is, Sam."

"It's just."

"You have a bad feeling. But you know what, you always have a bad feeling, Sam. You're like a walking wet blanket."

"The missing hikers don't worry you?"

"No, not really. What worries me is Kerri and you."

"Me?"

"Are we forgetting that you were very recently possessed by a ghost? Or are we forgetting that there's a crazy hunter out looking for you? Or that we haven't heard squat about Yellow Eyes or Rayner? Don't you think I have enough to worry about without getting involved in a hunt that isn't even a hunt."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Sam, just look at things from my point of view. If we stumble upon something, we'll look into it, but I can't focus on that right now."

"Alright."

"I need you to be focused. For all we know Chetling is creeping around here, too."

"You think he'd find us way out here?" Sam hadn't thought about Chetling. He knew the older hunter was asking questions about him, and he'd recently dropped out of the hunting circle, but for some reason Sam didn't think of him as an immediate threat— there was just too much else on his mind.

"I don't know. But I wouldn't underestimate him. Hell, for all we know he knew Michaels. He might know about this place."

"Then how do we know the locket is even still there."

"We don't, Sam. We don't know anything. But what else are we gonna do?"

"I know. It's just, I can't focus anymore."

"Well you have to. Let's just get to Michaels' place and go from there. Keep your eyes peeled, for anything. And Sam—."

"Yeah?"

"No secrets, that's how we go into this mess. Anything from Yellow Eyes or Evelyn, anything at all, you tell me."

"Of course."

"I mean it, Sammy. You'd tell me the truth, right?"

Sam met his brother's sharp gaze. In his heart he knew the answer was yes, he was screaming to himself the answer was yes. This was his brother, Dean would do anything for him. But there was a shadow at the back of his mind, a small voice telling him the secrets were needed. A voice he'd been listening to far too much lately.

"I've screwed up lately, Dean, I know that."

"Screwed up is an understatement."

"I know. But I'm with you now. No secrets."

"Even when it comes to Evelyn?"

"How many times do I have to tell you, she's gone."

"I know how you are with her, Sam."

"How I am with a ghost?"

"I saw her back at the house. She's more than just a ghost. But she's not the same girl we knew. She changed. I just wanna make sure she's not gonna drag you to some dark place."

"She's gone, Dean, for real. I know that, because I haven't missed her more. Before she came back she was just this image in my mind, just a lost memory. But now, she's real to me again. And she's gone again." Sam was telling Dean the truth, losing Evelyn had broken his heart. He knew she had gone dark side, knew she was dangerous— but he couldn't help but miss her.

Dean held Sam's gaze for a long moment, almost like he was trying to look through him, into his soul. Sam held the look. He wanted his brother to know he wasn't lying, to know they were on the same side. They were up against too many obstacles. The younger Winchester knew he couldn't fight against his brother, not if they wanted to survive. Slowly Dean nodded, turning back to the trail without another word.

Sam watched his brother's retreating back, knowing things had changed. There was a barrier there now, something splitting them apart. Sam didn't know if it was a residual effect from having Evelyn in his mind, or if there was something else. Maybe it was a combination of both.

The brunette let his mind wander back to Kerri, she had done something to herself. He knew it for a fact, he just didn't know what it was. Kerri wasn't one to be boxed in, wasn't one to be held back— it was a weakness as well as a strength. She was too headstrong for her own good, too independent to stay safe. It was something Sam admired about the redhead. She was the only person who could stand up to Dean, and the young hunter couldn't help but be impressed. Expect when it put her directly in harms way.

She had been on the verge of collapse, her mind having reached capacity a long time ago. She was fading, falling apart, dying— so what the hell happened? One minute she was fading away, and the next she was back to normal. It was a difference Sam could feel, something tangible, which meant it was something supernatural. Magic and myth had gotten them all into this mess, it wasn't the right path back out.

Sam was pulled from his mind by the sound of rustling in the distant trees. He stopped dead in his tracks, Dean doing the same several yards ahead. Without a sound both brothers pulled out their guns, their senses heightened. Something was out there, Sam knew it. He met his brother's eyes, nodding once before backtracking through the undergrowth. Dean did the same from his position, the pair circling whatever it was out in the forest.

They searched the forest for several tense moments, checking for any sign of what they had heard. It was too loud to be a fox or other small animal, but bears weren't out of the picture. Still, now that Sam thought about it the forest was quiet, too quiet.

"Hey, Sammy." Sam turned at the sound of his brother's voice. He made his way cautiously over to Dean, scanning the area around him as he did so.

"Yeah?"

Dean just nodded at the tree, and Sam's heart skipped a beat. There were several long claw marks on the trunk, and the brunette could see similar marks on nearby trees. "Wendigo."

"Yeah. Of course."

"Of course what?"

"Winchester luck. The last thing I have time for right now is a freaking Wendigo."

"We should head back, regroup."

"Yeah, I know. We're just so close, Sammy."

"We've waited this long, Dean. Besides we're not much use to Kerri if we get eaten by a Wendigo."

"Just because you're right, that doesn't mean I have to like it. I just want this over, Sam."

"I know, me too."

"It's getting dark, the last thing we need is to be out here with the thing at night."

"Yeah—."

"Help me!" Sam and Dean both turned to the darkening forest. "Help!"

"It's a trap, Sammy."

"What if it isn't."

"Help, please."

"Sam—."

"She sounds close, Dean. What if it isn't a Wendigo, what if someone's trying to throw us off the trail of the locket."

"You think Chetling knows about it?"

"Maybe."

"But kill people just to trick us?"

"You saw him in Montana. He let all those girls die, and he almost let Kerri die, too. I don't think he's above a little collateral damage."

"Damn it. Alright, I'm gonna head out, you keep to the trail. Call me if you see anything, Sam— Wendigo or hunter."

"Alright. Be careful."

"You to, Sammy."

66666666666

Kerri sat at the top of the basement stairs, her eyes closed. She listened to the house, to each and every sound it made. It was like the structure was talking to her, telling her everything about the world around her, and the redhead couldn't help but smile. She knew Bobby was trying to help, that he was acting on Dean's order, but she couldn't be penned up any longer. Bobby wasn't around her as much as the boys were, and she knew that was her only advantage. Her hearing had always been different, more tuned to the world than most people, and now she knew why. She had been blinded as a child, and though her father fixed it, there were still lingering signs.

Kerri could describe a person simply by the way they walked. The weight of the steps, the speed of the pace, the make of the shoes— they all told a story, all pained a picture. And as the redhead listened to the footsteps above she learned a little more about the mechanic. He seemed tired, drained, beaten down. He still fought, but Kerri guessed that was due to shear stubbornness. He didn't want to give up, but that didn't mean he wanted to keep going.

It was a feeling she could relate to. She could still remember the worlds she heard when she searched her mind. Family is foe. She had no idea what it meant, but she knew it had to be important. She refused to believe that among everything else she had learned about the world she had failed to get even the slightest hint about what was plaguing her family. She knew the truth, deep inside her own jumbled brain, she just had to find some safe way to retrieve it.

She took a deep breath, glancing down at the silver bracelet she now had around her wrist. Dean wasn't here to watch her every move, wasn't here to save her if she went too far. She wasn't suicidal, in her heart she knew Dean would save her. It was a given, a fact so set in stone there was no denying it. As sure as the sun would rise, Dean would save her. But Dean was in Vancouver at the moment. Kerri closed her eyes, knowing what she had to do, and hoping she wouldn't stop her heart again.

"Tell me what I need to know." Kerri demanded, scanning the darkness around her. She focused on Sam, letting the brunette fill her mind. He was the key to all this.

"Where are you hiding, Kerri?"

"What?" Kerri jumped, spinning around. She blinked several times, trying to force herself to wake up. But while the overbearing force was gone, she was once again trapped in her own mind. "Who are you?"

"Who do you think?"

Kerri's blood ran cold when the Yellow Eyed Demon stepped out from the shadows— in the form of Victor Rayner. "How?"

"How indeed. What have you done?"

"What makes you think I did anything?"

"You think I was born yesterday? You're different. Stronger."

"Maybe I'm just feeling better."

"That isn't possible. I'm the mastermind behind Rayner's little trick. I know exactly how it's supposed to work. Ironic isn't it. Years before I came for your little sister I was already a part of your world. And you all thought I was limited to those kids. My plans are much bigger."

"You made me sick?"

"Actually, that was dumb luck. See I knew what I wanted, but I didn't know you would be my girl. That was a good old twist of fate."

"You're not real. You're just something in my mind."

"Oh, I'm very real. But unfortunately, I am only in your mind. Because this is the only way I can find you. Tell you what. You tell me where you're hiding and I won't rip Dean to pieces."

"Yeah, right."

"He's expendable. You must have figured that out already."

"Demons lie."

"You know words like that hurt me."

"Bite me."

"Love to. I'm surprised Dean let you search your mind again. Almost killed you last time."

"How do you know that?"

"It was a lucky guess. Victor told me about the episode at the house, and knowing you I figured you were stubborn enough to try it again. So what, trying to find the secret in it all?"

"I'll figure out what you're up to, and then we'll take you out."

"I'd love to see that. Just remember one thing, Sweet Cheeks, family is your foe."

Kerri's eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat at the Demon's words. "How?"

"How did I know? It's the story of your life, Kerri Harrison, family is your foe."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The Demon smiled, his sick yellow eyes boring into Kerri, staring through her, into her soul. "What's it worth to you?"

"I don't make deals with demons."

"I know. You're my only hold out. But everyone has a price."

"I don't."

"You don't now. But times change. Remember, life's a bitch, kid."

Kerri's eyes flew open, her heart beating a mile a minute. She was still sitting on the basement stairs, and judging by the sounds upstairs it had only been a few minutes. Was that really Yellow Eyes, or just a figment of her imagination? And why did he look like Rayner. Something was going on, something big, she could feel it in her bones. She had to get out of the house, had to warn the boys. She just had to get passed Bobby first.

Kerri let out a long, deep sigh. Bobby cared about them, perhaps more that their own fathers, but she knew she had to get out of there. That didn't lessen the guilt any. She stood slowly, sliding back behind the basement door, while she maneuvered a stack of paint cans. With one last breath she kicked the cans, crying out as she did so. And as predicted, Bobby came running.

"Kerri?" He shouted, charging down the stairs. He was three steps from the bottom before recognition dawned. He turned, just as Kerri slipped out from behind the door. "Don't you dare."

"I'm sorry." Kerri called as she swung around the door, pulling it closed and locking it. "I have to."

"Open this door, now!" Bobby yelled, pounding on the door. "Kerri, I mean it."

"I'll be ok. I swear. I'll tell Dean I tricked you."

"I don't care about Dean. You're not going on your own, now open the door."

"I can't. I'm sorry." Kerri grabbed her keys off the ledge in the kitchen and ran out the side door. There was more going on than met the eye, Yellow Eyes appearance proved that. She was healthy now, stronger, and she needed to help the boys.


	7. Chapter 7

_so, it's been a VERY long time. i know that and I'm sorry. Life had been anything but calm over these last few months. things are still crazy, but I'm finally getting back to writing, though it is at a slower pace. I will continue to update, I will never leave stories unfinished. Thank you all for the support and the reviews, enjoy :)_**  
**

**THE HIGH ROAD**

Chapter 7

Dean growled as he searched through his pocket, the shrill ring of his phone breaking the silence of the forest. He glanced at the caller ID before answering— he really didn't have time for this. The hunt was already turning into more of a headache than he'd hoped, and now Bobby was calling to check in. He knew the mechanic cared, but he wasn't in the mood to answer questions. All Dean wanted were some answers of his own.

"Not a good time, Bobby."

_"I lost her."_

Dean stopped dead in his tracks, hoping he'd heard his friend wrong. "What? How?"

_"She tricked me. She's worse that you boys, you know that?"_

"Yeah, she can be."

_"Thanks for the heads up."_

"I can't believe this. How long ago?"

_"A few hours."_

"What? Why are you just calling me now?"

_"Because it took me that long to get out of the damn basement and get to the phone. She took the Firebird."_

"Great, just great."

_"Hey, I did my best. I wasn't her babysitter."_

"Actually you were."

_"Semantics. I think you boys should come back here. The lockets' not gonna be any good without the girl. Plus with Chetling around, I don't wanna take any chances."_

"I agree, and I'd love to come back. But that's not gonna happen."

_"Why?"_

Dean closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before answering, "I lost Sam."

_"How the hell did you manage that?"_

"We split up."

_"Why?"_

"Because we thought we found a wendigo."

_"You're joking."_

"Unfortunately not."

_"What makes you think it's a wendigo. I haven't heard anything about one being in that area." _

"Sammy found reports of a bunch of missing hikers. We shrugged it off, it's a pretty rugged area, but then we came out here and nearly ran over the damn thing. We split up a few hours ago."

_"Do you think it got him?"_

"No. Something's off here, Bobby, it just feels wrong. I don't even know if it's really a wendigo. It's weird. And Sammy, he just vanished, his phone's off too."

_"Maybe Kerri called him."_

Dean had thought about that. He knew his brother had a soft spot for the redhead, and he also knew Kerri had the younger man wrapped around her little finger. His brother was too trusting, and while Dean knew Kerri would never do anything to put Sam in danger, he also knew that others wouldn't be so kind. He just hoped that wherever Sam was, he was safe.

"I thought about that, but I think Sam would know better."

_"Lets hope so. I'll see what I can find out about the region from here. It seems odd Michaels would set up shop near a wendigo like that. Do you think it could be Chetling?"_

"The disappearances go back a while. I know Chetling's crazy, but I don't think even he'd think up something this involved. Besides, how would he even know we'd come up this way. We got this tip from Evelyn's ghost."

_"I wouldn't put anything past him, remember this is the same man the acted like a butler for years to get close to his target. Stay safe and keep your eyes open for Sam and Kerri. She hasn't been answering her phone so I don't know how far out she is."_

"She's not answering because she knows she's in trouble. I'll find her and Sam. Let me know if you hear from either." Dean kept his voice calm, but he was anything but. His heart was pounding in his chest. Both Kerri and Sam were out there somewhere, missing, possibly in danger— he had to find them. Until then, nothing else mattered.

_"Will do. One more thing, Dean. She's got a bracelet on."_

"A silver one?" Dean had completely forgotten about the bracelet. But now, it all made total sense. He had no idea what the trinket was, but he knew it was powerful. So far it had killed a witch and a demon, and had put the Trickster on their tale.

_"So you did know about it?"_

Dean pulled the phone away from his ear, suddenly wondering why Bobby was yelling at him. "Yeah, and?"

_"And, I've been looking for that bracelet for years. Do you know what it is?"_

"Just a magic silver bracelet. Why?"

_"It's the Ring of Solomon."_

Dean froze, why couldn't things ever be easy. "You're joking right. Please tell me you're joking."

_"I wish I was. That's what changed about her. Apparently she'd been hiding it in her car. She remembered it was there on the way back from the hospital."_

"Sam said something was different. She was rooting around under the seat then suddenly Sammy said he could feel a wall around her or something."

_"Bingo."_

"That's good then."

_"How is this good, Dean?"_

"Well, it's like a portable panic room."

_"Do you know how many creatures and hunters have been looking for this thing?"_

"Bobby, she's had it forever. Even the Trickster couldn't get it."

_"How hard did that damn thing even try?"_

"He threatened to kill Sam." Dean could still remember it like it was yesterday. His brother was lying on the floor, helpless at the hands of the Trickster. Just a flick of his wrist and Sam would be gone, and still Kerri stood her ground. It was one of the most terrifying moments of Dean's life— and it was a moment he never wanted to relive.

After a few moments of silence Dean heard Bobby sigh. _"Dean, you need to talk some sense into her."_

"I know. I don't want her out on this hunt, or any hunt for that matter. But I'm on the fence about the bracelet."

_"Well, once you find the locket we won't need the bracelet."_

"So basically, stick with the plan, I got it."

_"Alright, keep me posted."_

Bobby cut the connection, leaving Dean alone in the woods once more, but with a whole new set of problems. This started easily enough. Go to Vancouver, get a necklace, get home. He should have known it wouldn't be that simple. Their lives were never that simple. Everything always had to be extraordinarily difficult, it was just their lives. But the bracelet, that changed things. Dean had completely forgotten about it before the phone call— but it made sense now. And it offered the blonde some momentary relief. They had a way of keeping Kerri safe, albeit a dangerous one, but it was still better than the alternative. Bracelet or no bracelet, Chetling, Yellow Eyes and Rayner were still out in the world somewhere, and the last place Dean wanted Kerri was on a hunt.

Sighing, Dean flipped open his phone again, scrolling to the number he wanted. She might not pick up for Bobby, but Dean knew Kerri would never ignore him.

_"Hello?"_

"Turn around."

_"I'm sorry, you're breaking up."_

"I am not. Turn around, Kerri."

_"Dean, I'm better, I can help."_

"Oh, I know you're better. Bobby told me about the bracelet. And you can help by going back to his house."

_"Yeah right, you should know me better by now."_

"Ker, I'm serious."

_"So am I. I'm not gonna sit around and wait to die. I can't do that."_

"You're not gonna die. We're out here trying to help you, or has that somehow slipped your super mind?"

_"It hasn't . I'm just being the practical one of the bunch. Besides, like you said, the bracelet made me better."_

"Don't put words in my mouth. You coming out here is gonna risk everything."

_"What's everything? What have I got to lose?"_

Dean closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before continuing. Kerri might not have anything to lose, but he stood to lose everything. Sam and Kerri were the only family he had left, and he couldn't survive without them. This was a last ditch attempt to save not just Kerri, but himself as well. "It would be better for me if you turned around."

_"I'm not any safer there."_

"You're not? Because last time I checked there weren't any potential monsters or deranged hunters there."

_"Yeah, but I was still there. I think it's become pretty obvious that I'm more detrimental to myself than most other things."_

Kerri was right, she'd had a self destructive streak her entire life, and it had only gotten worse recently. She was more of a danger to herself than a hundred wendigos. But wendigos weren't what scared Dean. Victor Rayner and Bruce Chetling were what scared him. Monsters he understood, humans were different. Monsters were predictable, humans weren't.

"Please, Kerri."

_"I'm sorry, Dean. I'll be there soon."_

Dean closed his eyes when the call ended. He needed her to listen, to understand how much she meant to him, how much he needed her. He didn't want her on the front lines, he didn't want her in danger, bracelet or no bracelet. He wanted her safe— to know that, no matter what, she would alway be there. Unfortunately, there was no way to make that happen. Kerri was raised by a hunter, whether Dean liked it or not, and nothing was ever going to change that. Which mean he had to stay sharp, had to keep on his toes— because he now had both Kerri and Sam to worry about.

Spurred on by that fact Dean went back into hunting mode. He turned to the darkening forest, his eyes sharp. It had been a few hours since he'd heard from Sam and to say he was worried would be an understatement. Something was going on here, he could feel it in his bones. Why would Michaels set up camp in a wendigo's hunting ground? It didn't make any sense. Most wendigos hunted an area for decades, Michaels would have known it was there. There was also something different about this one, something Dean couldn't quite place. Everything about this wendigo and hunt just felt wrong. But at that moment all he could focus on was finding his brother— he'd worry about everything else later.

6666666666

Kerri closed the phone, dropping it on the seat beside her. She knew Dean would call her, she just didn't think it would have been that soon. She was hoping to avoid him until she'd had a chance to get to Michaels' cabin and look around. Obviously, that part of her plan was now shot. Dean was pissed— naturally— but he needed to see things from her point of view. She couldn't just sit by and let the world go on around her, that wasn't an option. She had to be proactive about her own future. Besides, what could be up there to hurt her?

Sure Chetling had gone to ground and none of them had heard anything from Rayner since leaving his house— but that didn't mean the men were up in Vancouver waiting for them. After all, how could they? This locket was information they had gotten from Evelyn— Bruce and Victor would have no idea it was there. So how could they be waiting for them? This was all Dean being paranoid, his desire to control her winning out. But it wouldn't work, not with her. Sam might be under his brother's thumb, but she wasn't. She could take care of herself, Dean should have learned that by now.

She touched the bracelet on her wrist, finding comfort in the cool metal. She let the feeling wash over her, soothing her troubled and turbulent mind. She couldn't believe she had forgotten about it for so many years, that she had let it gather dust while her family struggled for a way to save her. She didn't need the locket anymore, not with the bracelet. That was the real reason she followed the boys. This shielded her, kept her safe, kept her mind controlled. It was a noninvasive way to fix the problem.

She knew Dean would make her give up the bracelet in favor of the locket, though. After all, the locket would supposedly wipe her mind while the bracelet just made it manageable. She could see the logic in it. If she cleaned all the information out of her head she would no longer be a target— she was be ordinary and safe. If she kept the information, though, she would be helpful, she would be useful. She knew how the lives of hunters worked. There was no time for rest, no time for reprieve, no time for love. There was just the hunt. There were those who could help you, and those who couldn't— and the grey area in between was virtually non existent. Sure Dean would claim to visit, would say she'd never be forgotten, but Kerri knew the truth. She couldn't give up who she was— she wasn't meant to be ordinary. And that was something Dean was going to have to learn to accept.

More than that, she couldn't be left behind. She couldn't sit outside her house and watch the Impala drive away again, that just wasn't an option. From the moment she saw Dean again her entire world had changed. She had lied to herself over the years. She had made herself believe she had moved on, that she had grown up. But it was all a lie. Her job, her fiance— they were all just a mirage, hiding who she truly was underneath. She was Kerri Harrison, the daughter of a hunter and Dean Winchester's best friend. And the moment Annabel and Michael brought him, bruised and bloodied, into her life again, she knew she would never be able to let him go.

She needed Dean in her life, Sam was right. She just didn't think it was that obvious. Dean would move on, would keep hunting, keep pushing forward— because that's what Dean did. Kerri didn't have that ability. Once Dean was gone, she would crumbled, what little will power she had left scattering in the wind. Standing on the sidelines, waiting for word on those she cared about was how she'd spent over half her life— and she wasn't about to waste another minute waiting in the wings. She knew what she needed, what she wanted, and she wasn't going to let anything, not monsters, demons or misguided hunters stop her now.

She drove on for several more hours, ignoring her phone's periodic rings. She knew what Bobby was gonna say and she knew what Dean was gonna say— and she knew it wouldn't changed her mind. She was surprised she hadn't heard from Sam, though, and secretly, she was a little grateful. Bobby and Dean yelled orders like drill sergeants, something Kerri was used to. Sam, he needled his way into her mind, made her stop and think— and that was something she didn't know how to combat. When push came to shove she could shove back, but Kerri couldn't fight logic. And it made Sam an enigma to her. He wasn't the typical hunter, that much was obvious, but there was so much more to it.

Sam stood out, even from Evelyn. There was always a mystery about him, always something more hidden behind his deep brown eyes. Kerri understood Dean, knew everything about him. She could tell how he was feeling by the slope of his shoulders, the sound of his voice, the pattern of his walk. Hell, Kerri could read a lot of people that way— it was something she'd always been able to do. Perhaps it was a by product of being blind, but the redhead had always been able to tell someone by the way they walked. Sam, though, he was different. He had the innate ability to wear his heart on his sleeve and be completely guarded at the same time. But like the saying goes, still waters run deep, and Kerri knew the world had only scratched the surface of the secret that was Sam Winchester.

Kerri glanced in the mirrors as she pulled her car off the road. She hadn't seen the Impala, and she didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She didn't think Dean would leave, knowing she was coming, she just hoped the blonde hadn't spotted her. She made sure the Firebird was out of sight on one of the old logging trails before getting out. The cool night fell silently around her, like a blanket shrouding her in darkness. She shivered despite herself— something was different here. The redhead momentarily thought of getting back in the car, but she knew she had come too far.

Taking a deep breath she cleared what she could from her mind, her left hand touching the bracelet once more. She wasn't a hunter, not really anyway, and deep in her heart she knew she had no business being there. But if the brothers were there, she knew she had to be, too. She had seen the map Sam and Dean were using at Bobby's, and she listened in from the basement while they made their plans. She knew exactly where the cabin was, and exactly what to look for. She glanced once more at the phone, seeing Dean's name flash upon the screen before shoving it in her pocket before setting off into the night.

It was a five mile walk to the cabin from where she'd parked the Firebird, but the forest was dark and over grown, making it a long five miles. She let her thoughts wonder as she walked, the Yellow Eyed Demon's words coming back to her. _Family is your Foe._ She still had no idea what that meant. Family is foe? It didn't make any sense, for a number of reasons. One, her entire family was dead, and two, when they were alive they had been the least of her worries. They had tried to help her, tried to save her. There was no way her family was her foe. So what had the demon meant?

Kerri relaxed, letting her mind drift back to the basement as she walked. She had been looking for the demon, searching her own mind for the creature, or any information about him. And she'd found it. His sickly yellow eyes were there in her mind, but they had also changed— they had been brown for a moment.

_"Who are you?"_

_ "I am the end."_

_ "The end of what?"_

_ "Everything. When I rise, the world will begin again. Life will be born anew, and I will lead it."_

_ "Who are you?"_

_ "You're family and foe."_

Kerri's eyes flew open, the Yellow Eyed Demon's voice still ringing in her ears. "My family and Foe." The redhead whispered, her heart racing. "Sam."

It was Sam. He was the Yellow Eyed Demon's prize, he was the one the demon had shown the most interest in him. And the brown eyes in her mind, it had to mean something. But it still made no sense. Sam wasn't her foe, though she did consider him family. There was more to the puzzle, something she wasn't seeing. It all had to tie together somehow. Evelyn saying none of them could be saved in life or death, family and foe, Tom's deal— it all had to tie together somehow. But Kerri still couldn't see it. How could Sam possible be her foe, how could he possibly be the one they had to stop. It was inconceivable.

Kerri pulled her phone from her pocket— she needed to tell Dean what she remembered, even if she knew he wouldn't want to hear any of it. She took a few more steps, scrolling through the numbers on her phone, not paying attention to where she was going, and she paid the price. She felt the underbrush give way a second too late. She had just enough time to let out a short scream before falling into the darkness of the forest.

6666666666

Chetling walked to the edge of the pit, swinging his flashlight back and forth carelessly. He was surprised. He had expected a fight, or at least a challenge— not to have his target simply fall into a trap while on a phone. But the government said texting was dangerous.

"Like shooting fish in a barrel." The hunter chided, shining his flashlight into the pit once more before disappear off into the woods, seeking out the rest of his prey.


End file.
